The Iowa Gold Star Cycle Menu is UNDER REVISION, to be updated to meet the new meal pattern. The individual recipes can be incorporated into existing menus, as needed. See the Healthier Kansas Menu link below for cycle menu, recipes, and production records that meet the new meal pattern.
The Iowa Gold Star Cycle Menus are available for all schools to incorporate fully or partially into their school meals program. The 5-week, seasonal menus offer increased whole grains, fruits and vegetables and legumes, optional locally grown produce, and healthy USDA Foods. The menus follow the new proposed rule to update nutrition standards for NSLP, which may help schools to prepare for the new meal pattern regulations. Seven schools pilot tested the menus and recipes in the fall, 2010 and claim they are using up to 75% of the items in their menus in the future. Students, teachers, and administrators were excited about trying the newly featured Iowa Gold Star menu!
Iowa Gold Star Cycle Menu tools include:
Iowa Gold Star Cycle Menu - Final August 2011 Iowa Gold Star Recipes Iowa Gold Star Shopping List - Final August 2011 Nutrikids Nutritional Analysis - Final August 2011
Nutrikids Nutritional Analysis MSExcel - Final August 2011
Produce Merchandising - compressed file*
Technical Assistance - compressed file*
*Requires special uncompressed or "unzipping" software before you can make use of the files.
Chef Cyndie Story Recipes Chef Cyndie Story Recipes - Ten new recipes that were developed, tested, and standardized by Chef Cyndie Story to assist schools with incorporating more dark green, orange/red vegetables, legumes, and whole grains into school meals. The recipes are a supplement to the existing Iowa Gold Star Recipes and can be a tool for schools as they work towards meeting the new meal pattern requirements.
Additional Resources:
Recipes for Healthy Kids, provides 281 recipes (legumes, vegetables and grains), which were submitted by schools across the nation. The Recipes for Healthy Kids Competition (the “Challenge”), is an initiative of Let’s Move! with the support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Challenge brought together food service staff, chefs, students, and community members to develop creative, nutritious, tasty and kid-approved recipes that schools can easily incorporate into National School Lunch menus. The recipes will help to increase the student’s intake of: 1) whole grains; 2) dark green and orange vegetables; and 3) dry beans and peas. http://www.recipesforkidschallenge.com/submissions
Simple Scratch Recipes, are a collection of simple scratch recipes served in Minnesota schools. The recipes have been tested in Minnesota cafeterias for student acceptability, cost and ease of preparation. From Turkey Sloppy Joes to a Spring Salad Mix, any school can add variety, good nutrition and great taste by adding one or more of these recipes. http://www.health.state.mn.us/schools/greattrays/planning.html
USDA Recipes for Schools, hese recipes have been edited and reflect the changes made in the newest edition of the Food Buying Guide for Child Nutrition Programs. Recipes can be found at http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/Resources/usda_recipes.html.
Healthier Kansas Menus, the Healthier Kansas Menus are designed to help schools meet the challenge of serving nutritious meals that will appeal to students. You can also use these menus to apply for the HealthierUS School Challenge, found at http://www.kn-eat.org/SNP/SNP_Menus/SNP_Resources_Healthier_Kansas_Menus.htm.
Menus that Move from the Ohio Department of Education is a set of seasonal cycle menus to help schools serve tasty meals that fit within the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) new meal guidelines. Click here