T E A M N U T R I T I O N 

Team Nutrition proudly introduces an exciting, 

new nutrition education publication developed 

especially for middle school and high school 

students: Nutrition Essentials. This publication is 

based on the recommendations of the 2005 Dietary 

Guidelines for Americans and MyPyramid.

Nutrition Essentials will help you teach middle and 

high-school students how to make healthful, lifelong 

eating and physical activity choices. Students will be 

introduced to the “tools” available to them to help 

them make eating and physical activity choices. The 

Nutrition Essentials toolkit contains a 42-page booklet 

with six sequential lesson plans, and five full-size 

posters: Food for a Day, How Much Do YOU Eat?, Move 

It!, MyPyramid, and READ IT before you EAT IT!. The 

How Much Do YOU Eat? poster is a revision of the 

previous What Size Is Your Serving? poster. It reflects 

the shift from servings to recommended 

amounts of food 

made in the 2005 

Dietary Guidelines for 

Americans. The READ 

IT before you EAT IT!

poster was revised 

to reflect the new 

Nutrition Facts label 

which reflects trans

fat in products. 

Each lesson plan is 

based on a poster or 

other visual image 

that serves as the focus for your class discussions and 

activities. The lesson topics are :

• Get the MyPyramid Amounts of Foods–for YOU

• Choose the Foods YOU Need

• Choose Foods for Their Nutrients

• Estimate Amounts of Food

• Put It All Together–Food for a Day

• Move It! To Keep Your Health in Balance

Volume 9, No. 1 Team Nutrition 	 3101 Park Center Drive

	 Room 632

Alexandria, VA 22302

•	 EmpoweringYouth

• What isa Whole

Grain?

• TheLatest from Team

Nutrition

• JointheTeam

Nutrition Essentials Targets 

Secondary School Students

What’s

Inside

United States

Department of

Agriculture

Food and

Nutrition

Service

CONNECTIONS

Nutrition Essentials also includes a CD, Nutrition 

Decision, with interactive games that build skills using 

the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels. Another CD 

contains the text of the booklet as well as black/white 

and color reproducibles and mini-posters to aid your 

classroom efforts. Nutrition Essentials was promoted 

to all Team Nutrition middle and high schools, and 

is now available to all middle and high schools upon 

request through Team Nutrition’s online order form. 

It can also be downloaded in .pdf form from the Web.

Go to teamnutrition.usda.gov to see the materials and 

order online from http://tn.ntis.gov/.
 T E A M N U T R I T I O N

Empowering Youth

with Nutrition and 

Physical Activity

Y

ou, as a teacher or afterschool leader, have 

an opportunity to be a role model to youth, 

whether it is in a classroom, afterschool 

program, or summer feeding site. Take advantage of 

this opportunity to make a difference in their lives by 

adding the Empowering Youth with Nutrition and 

Physical Activity manual and modules to the resources 

you use regularly. Empowering Youth is designed 

to be used with youth ages 11 to 18 and includes 

up-to-date nutrition and physical activity messages 

based on the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans 

(DGAs) and MyPyramid. The information presented 

has the potential to empower youth to develop healthpromoting habits that last a lifetime. 

The Empowering Youth manual includes information 

and fact sheets on the risk factors for obesity, related 

chronic conditions, and other topics in a format that 

is easy to present to youth. Interactive activities with 

handouts illustrate nutrition and physical activity 

concepts. The hands-on activities require minimal 

planning and are designed to be fun, educational, and 

easily used within the classroom, afterschool program, 

or special events. The manual contains strategies 

for youth to develop and implement a nutrition- or 

physical activity-related project within their school 

or community. Step-by-step guidance, worksheets, 

additional helpful tips, handouts, discussion prompters, 

and healthy recipes make the Empowering Youth

manual an education tool teachers and afterschool 

leaders will use. High schools, middle schools, 

and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) 

afterschool sites can order the Empowering Youth

manual from the Team Nutrition online order form. 

The manual can also be downloaded from the Team 

Nutrition Web site at teamnutrition.usda.gov.

Five online interactive training modules will help

leaders and youth groups bring the ideas in 

Empowering Youth to life. They present more in-depth 

information about the DGAs, MyPyramid, and the 

Nutrition Facts Label, as well as on being a positive role 

model. The modules also contain knowledge-check 

review questions and pause-and-reflect scenarios that 

get you thinking about ways to enhance your program. 

Links to additional supporting Team Nutrition 

materials and other resources are also provided. The 

modules will be found with the manual text on the 

Team Nutrition Web site starting early in 2008. Copies 

of Empowering Youth can be ordered using the online 

order form on the Web site.
T E A M N U T R I T I O N 

What is a Whole Grain?...

A Closer Look at the HealthierUS

School Challenge

Making it Happen and Changing the Scene are two 

popular Team Nutrition products designed to assist 

schools in developing their local wellness policies. 

Both are available free of charge and can be ordered 

online using the Team Nutrition on-line order form at 

http://tn.ntis.gov.

for the word “whole” listed before a grain, such as 

“whole wheat” or “whole corn” on the ingredient label.

Other ingredients may not have the word “whole” 

but are still whole grains, such as graham flour, wild 

rice, brown rice, cracked wheat, bulgur, crushed 

wheat, rolled oats, and oatmeal.

Primary ingredients that indicate a 

food is NOT a whole-grain product 

include: white flour, wheat flour, 

unbleached flour, durum flour, 

semolina, grits, corn grits, 

hominy grits, degerminated 

corn meal, rice flour, farina, and 

couscous.

Other confusing terms that usually 

DO NOT prove a product is whole 

grain include multi-grain, stone-ground, 

100% wheat, cracked wheat, 7-grain, 9-grain, 

and bran. When you see one of these terms, examine 

the ingredient statement carefully to determine if the 

food really is whole grain.

Remember, the Dietary Guidelines and MyPyramid tell 

you to “Make half of your grains whole.”

T

he HealthierUS School Challenge, initiatedbyTeam

Nutritioninthefallof2004, recognizesnutrition

excellenceinelementary schoolsacross the Nation.

What does it take to receive a HealthierUS School 

Challenge award? Elementary schools apply 

by submitting descriptions of their 

healthy menu planning practices, a la 

carte and school vended offerings, 

and their physical activity and 

nutrition education programs.

Sometimes schools must work 

to meet the whole-grain criteria 

in the Challenge. For a Gold 

award, schools must serve a 

whole-grain product every day. 

However, it may be tricky to tell if 

a product is really whole grain. If a 

whole grain is the first ingredient in the 

ingredient statement, this means that the grain 

is the primary ingredient, by weight. This is a great 

indication that the product is providing a significant 

amount of the whole grain.

To determine if a food is a whole-grain product, look 
 T E A M N U T R I T I O N

The Latest

from

Team Nutrition

New materials especially for you!

Therearesome new items intheTeam Nutrition

Resourcecollectionof technicalassistance, training,

andnutritioneducation materials. If youhaven’t

receivedyour freecopyof these materials,goonline

totheTeam Nutrition Website(teamnutrition.

usda.gov),andclickonthe ResourceLibrary

buttontofindouthow toorder these materials!

@ Subscribe

The Team Nutrition E-Newsletter is published 

periodically to share resources and ideas for 

promoting healthy eating and physical activity 

through Team Nutrition at the State and local levels.

Visit the Healthy Meals Resource System (http://

healthymeals.nal.usda.gov) at the FNIC website to 

subscribe to the newsletter today! 

E-Newsletter!

to the

Elementary School Materials

The MyPyramid for Kids Classroom Materials are still available for elementary 

schools to help children learn the MyPyramid food guidance system. Lesson 

plans for teachers are available in three levels: Level 1 (grades 1-2); Level 2 

(grades 3-4); and Level 3 (grades 5-6). The classroom materials include teacher 

guides, lesson plans, posters, parent handouts, interactive games, and a CD 

filled with songs and reproducibles.

Only for Team Nutrition Elementary Schools...

Team Up at Home is a collection of hands-on nutrition education activities for parents to use 

with their elementary school-age children. An updated version of the original Team Up at Home 

released in 1996, this 36-page activity booklet is in a reproducible format for classroom and 

community use. Fun activities give parents and children information on the new MyPyramid 

for Kids, the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, preparing healthier meals and snacks, and 

tips on how to incorporate more physical activity into the family lifestyle. Printed copies of this 

activity booklet are available only to Team Nutrition elementary schools through a special order 

form. However, it can also be downloaded in .pdf form from the Team Nutrition Web site.

Enjoy Moving is available as a full-size poster and as an 8 1⁄2-inch by 11-inch handout depicting 

Team Nutrition’s latest activity pyramid for elementary school children. The poster and the 

flyer encourage students to be physically active every day, and suggest various activities children 

can engage in to move whenever they can, make their heart work harder, and stretch and build 

their muscles. Printed copies of Enjoy Moving are being offered only to Team Nutrition Schools 

through a special online ordering system, but the flyer can be downloaded from the Web site.
The Offer versus Serve Instructional Kits have been provided to school districts nationwide. A part of that kit, the Offer versus 

Serve Resource Pack, is targeted to schools. Additional copies of this Resource Pack were printed and SFAs should order copies 

for their schools prior to conducting Offer vs Serve training. The Resource Pack contains a reference guide, a CD of print 

materials, and a video overview of the traditional food-based, enhanced food-based, and nutrient standard menu-planning 

options. The video is available in VHS and DVD formats. 

The previously provided Instructional Kits are no longer 

available in print but are available in .pdf format on the 

Web site.

Fruits & Vegetables Galore: Helping Kids Eat More is a 

tool available to school foodservice professionals packed 

with tips on planning, purchasing, protecting, preparing, 

presenting, and promoting fruits and vegetables. 

The Fruits and Vegetables Challenge Poster Kit is a 

classroom activity to encourage students to eat more 

fruits and vegetables.

The Offer versus Serve Resource Pack and the Fruits and Vegetables Challenge Poster Kit

are available while supplies last, and can be ordered online through the Team Nutrition Web site.

Training and Technical Assistance Materials...

Recipes for Child Care is an updated version of the 1999 publication Child Care Recipes: Food 

for Health and Fun. The recipes have been updated to reflect the changes made in the 2001 Food 

Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs, and are searchable by recipe name or recipe number. 

The recipes have been standardized, edited for consistency, analyzed for nutrient content, and 

updated with Critical Control Point information based on the 2005 Food Code Supplement. Go to 

the Team Nutrition Web site to view the recipes.

USDA’s Recipes for Schools is an update of the 1988 Quantity Recipes for School Food Service

and the 1995 Tool Kit for Healthy School Meals. The recipes have been edited and reflect the 

changes made in the newest edition of the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs 

and are on a CD ROM. The accompanying spiral-bound handbook contains information on 

adjusting recipes, nutrient information, safe food handling, and reference charts helpful to food 

service operations. Recipes for Schools was distributed to State agencies and school districts for 

distribution to their schools. Printed copies of the handbook and the recipe CD are still available 

for distribution, and the recipes are also available in .pdf format from the Team Nutrition Web site.

The National Food Service Management Institute (NFSMI) works under a cooperative 

agreement with USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service to provide training for school food service and 

Child and Adult Care Food Program professionals at State agency and association meetings. The 

training is on a variety of topics – from the School Meals Initiative, to Financial Management, and 

Nutrition 101. State agencies can select topics for training based on the vast list of Team Nutrition 

and NFSMI materials. NFSMI provides the training sessions with handouts. Most sessions are 

60 – 90 minutes long, and longer sessions can be provided. All training sessions are free to State 

agencies. If you are interested, contact NFSMI at 800-321-3054 for more information.

While Supplies Last!

T E A M N U T R I T I O N 
 T E A M N U T R I T I O N

Join the Team...

Become a Team Nutrition School

Becoming a Team Nutrition School will 

help you focus attention on the important role 

of nutritious school meals, nutrition education 

and a health-promoting school environment in 

helping students learn to enjoy healthy eating and 

physical activity. It will provide the framework for team 

efforts by school nutrition staff, teachers, parents, the 

media and other community members.

Goal:

Team Nutrition’s goal is to improve children’s 

lifelong eating and physical activity habits by 

using the principles of the Dietary Guidelines 

for Americans and MyPyramid.

Team Nutrition has three implementation 

strategies:

• Healthy school meals that meet student 

expectations

• Nutrition education that is fun and focused 

on behavior

• Support from school administrators, parents and 

other community leaders

All program materials encourage students to make food 

and physical ac­tiv­i­ty choices for a healthy lifestyle. They 

focus on five behavior out­comes:

• Eat a variety of foods

• Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

• Choose calcium-rich foods

• Eat lower fat foods more often

• Be physically active

Team Nutrition Schools have these common values:

1.	 We believe that children should be empowered to 

make food and physical activity choices that reflect 

the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

2.	 We believe that good nutrition and physical activity 

are essential to children’s health and educational 

success.

3. We believe that school meals that meet the Dietary 

Guidelines for Americans should taste good and 

appeal to children.

4. We believe our programs must build upon the 

best science, education, communication, and 

technical resources available.

5. We believe that school, parent and community 

teamwork is essential to encouraging children 

to make food and physical activity choices for a 

healthy lifestyle.

6.	 We believe that messages to children should be 

age-appropriate and delivered in language they 

speak, through media they use, in ways that are 

entertaining and actively involve them in learning.

7. We believe in focusing on positive messages 

regarding food and physical activity choices children 

can make.

8. We believe it is critical to stimulate and support 

education and action at the national, State and local 

levels to help children develop healthy eating and 

physical activity behaviors.

As a Team Nutrition School, you will be the first to 

receive new materials to help you plan and carry 

out activities for your students and their families. 

You also have the op­por­tu­ni­ty to use the Team 

Nutrition Web site teamnutrition.usda.gov to order 

additional support material and access additional 

resources.

Complete the School Enrollment Form on the next page. 

Fax it to: 703-305-2549

Or mai l it to: Team Nutrition 

 3101 Park Center Drive 

 Room 632 

 Alexandria, VA 22302

At the same time, provide a copy of the enrollment 

form to your foodservice director and to the Team 

Nutrition Leader at your State agency. If you do not 

have that address, contact your school foodservice 

director or check the Team Nutrition Web site. If you 

have questions, mail or fax them to Team Nu­tri­tion 

at the above address. Also, email can be directed to 

teamnutrition@fns.usda.gov.

We look forward to having you JOIN THE TEAM!
T E A M N U T R I T I O N 

School Principal, Printed Name School FoodService Manager, Printed Name

Signature Signature

Date Date

• Support USDA’s Team Nutrition goal and values.

• Demonstrate a commitment to help students meet the 

Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

• Designate a Team Nutrition School Leader who will 

establish a school team.

• Distribute Team Nutrition materials to teachers, 

students and parents.

• Involve teachers, students, parents, foodservice 

personnel, and the community in interactive and 

entertaining nutrition education activities.

• Participate in the National School Lunch Program.

• Demonstrate a well-run Child Nutrition Program.

• Share successful strategies and programs with 

other schools.

We certify our school does not have any outstanding overclaims or 

significant program violations in our school meals programs.

Our Team Nutrition School Leader is:

❑Ms. ❑Mrs. ❑Mr. ❑Other

First Name ast Name

Title School’s Name

Total Enrollment School Grades (K-12)

School District School County

School Address

City State Zip Code

Telephone ( ) Fax ( )

Team Nutrition Leader’s E-Mail Address ❑Check Here to Receive the TN E-Newsletter

we agree to:

Team Nutrition School enrollment form

Sub mit one for each school

P l ease T y p e or p rint

Please C heck one or more of the A p propriate grade ranges: 

❑P (Preschool: PreK) ❑E (Elementary: K-5/6) ❑M (Middle: 6/7-8) ❑H (High: 9-12)
Contact us via the Internet/World Wide Web at 

teamnutrition.usda.gov

E-Mail us at our Internet mailbox:

teamnutrition@fns.usda.gov

Write us at: 

3101 Park Center Drive, Room 632 

Alexandria, VA 22302

Phone: (703) 305-1624

Fax: (703) 305-2549

p h o n e / f a x

for more Information

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Food and Nutrition Service, CND

3101 Park Center Drive, Room 632

Alexandria, VA 22302-9943

i n t e r n e t

E- m ai l

w ri t e

October 2007

In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the 

basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, DC 

20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TTY). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.