Podcasts about nutrition services

Christopher R. Daubert, Ph.D., serves as the President of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) and as the Vice Chancellor and Dean of the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources at the University of Missouri (Mizzou), as well as a Professor in the Division of Food Systems and Bioengineering. He joined Mizzou from North Carolina State University, where he served as a Professor and Head of the Department of Food, Bioprocessing, and Nutrition Services; Director of the Food Rheology Laboratory; and system Co-Chair of Food, Biochemical, and Engineered Systems. His research explained the physical chemistry, molecular-level interactions, and functionality of food systems through an understanding of rheological behavior, while solving problems facing the food and pharmaceutical industries.  Dr. Daubert has received distinguished alumnus awards from Pennsylvania State University and Michigan State University. He is also a Fellow of IFT and previously served IFT as chair of the Food Engineering Division and a member-at-large of the Dogwood section. He holds a B.S. degree in Agricultural Engineering from Penn State University, a Ph.D. in Agricultural Engineering and Food Science from Michigan State University, and a Post-Doctorate in Food Science from North Carolina State University.   In this episode of Food Safety Matters, we speak with Dr. Daubert [23:34] about: The challenges and opportunities for attracting students to food science and other food-related academic programs The value of an education in food science The role the food industry plays in food science education The complex food system challenges that today's students—tomorrow's workforce—can help address Dr. Daubert's work at Mizzou in promoting food science education How IFT helps prepare students to contribute to the global food community upon graduation. News USDA Secretary Rollins Increases Funding to Reimburse States for Food Safety Inspections [3:34]Senator Cotton Introduces Bill to Consolidate Federal Food Safety Agencies [6:38]MAHA Report Sets Stage for Overhaul of Food Chemicals, Environmental Contaminants, and Childhood Nutrition [10:18]Mars Removes Titanium Dioxide from Skittles in the United States [21:41] Sponsored by: CINTAS   We Want to Hear from You! Please send us your questions and suggestions to podcast@food-safety.com

In this episode, we unpack the draft Performance Work Statement (PWS) for the USDA Food and Nutrition Service's (FNS) upcoming Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). This opportunity focuses on providing Administration and Oversight Support (AOS) for two vital programs: SNAP and SNAP-Ed. Tune in as we explore the scope, which includes technical assistance, training, and analysis across four critical areas—Program Administration, Payment Accuracy, Program Integrity, and Program Oversight. We also touch on personnel requirements, Section 508 compliance, and more.

In our 150th Episode, Josh Rogers, Director of Nutrition Services in Greenfield Union School District in California, shares how a partnership with Waste Hunger Not Food has led to over 800,000 pounds of food being rescued since 2018.

In this episode, Jennifer Alexander, Program Director with Nutrition Services, sits down with Heidi Bates, Director of the Integrated Dietetic Internship Program at the University of Alberta. Heidi shares: • her journey to become a leader in field of dietetics, • what it means to be “fierce” in our profession, and • the exciting changes taking place at University of Alberta. She also explains how the partnership with Alberta Health Services has enriched the training of students and offers pearls of wisdom for dietitians eager to shape the next generation. Get ready for an inspiring, fun, and candid conversation that's sure to spark new ideas and energy in your own professional journey! Learn more about careers as a Registered Dietitian in Alberta: • Dietetics Specialization | Undergraduate Program www.ualberta.ca/en/undergraduate-programs/bachelor-of-science-in-nutrition-and-food-science-dietetics-specialization.html • Dietitian | Alberta Health Services www.albertahealthservices.ca/careers/Page11759.aspx

March is National Nutrition Month, and in this episode of We Talk Health Podcast, we go into detail on all the dietary and nutrition services we offer through LIFT Wellness Center. What programs are offered, how to join and more.Guests:Natalie IdzikLIFT Weight ManagementHMR Program Administrative ManagerMegan O'DoughertyClinical DietitianHost:Kara MobleySocial Media CoordinatorResources:LIFT Wellness Center - 731-425-6875LIFT Weight Management - 731-425-6820PODCAST ON HMR

Caree Cotwright, Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity at the Food and Nutrition Service at the US Department of Agriculture, explains the concept of nutrition security on a new episode of Add Passion & Stir. “Nutrition security is everyone in our country having consistent and equitable access to healthy, safe, and affordable food, but also food that is optimal for their health and wellbeing,” she says. “If we want to achieve health equity and make sure that everyone has a just opportunity to be as healthy as possible, we have to focus on [health] inequities and disparities so that everyone can thrive.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hour 1: Jason talks with listeners about General Mills' request for workers to come back to office 3 days a week. Then on "DeRusha Eats" he talks with Ashley Schneider, Director of Food and Nutrition Services from Moorhead Area Public Schools, about school meals.

Jason talks school meals with Ashley Schneider, Director of Food and Nutrition Services for Moorhead Area Public Schools on today's "DeRusha Eats"!

What a show we have for you this Saturday as The Word on Medicine brings you right into the heart of health care as we explore What Makes A Hospital Work. We have a true all-star cast including: John Ernst, Sr. Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of Froedtert Hospital; Anne Bobb, VP for Quality and Patient Safety; Dena McDowell, Director of Food and Nutrition Services; Myron Q. Love, Director of Safety and Security; Terrance Cooper, Supervisor in Sterile Processing; Mathew Gnirk, Director of Environmental & Linen Services; Stephan LeRose, Director of Operations, and Enterprise Facility Services; Reuben Salinas, Transport Lead Scheduling Coordinator; and Phillip Olley, Manager of Pharmacy Operations. If you want to learn what makes the best hospital in the world run, tune in this Saturday. We had great fun making this show and you will have a blast listening along with us!

What's cooking in the department that offers breakfast and lunch to 17,000 students in Bend, Sunriver and La Pine? In our latest superintendent's podcast, Garra Schluter, Director of Nutrition Services for Bend-La Pine Schools, sits down with Dr. Cook for a chat about current trends and challenges in feeding students in our 33 schools.  Their conversation covers the huge move this school year to extend free meals to all students, how many more meals we're serving now as a result, and the staffing needs in kitchens across the district. (Guess what: We're hiring!) Garra also describes the extensive “made from scratch” meal prep that happens in our district and reveals the dishes students love the most. Tune in for this fun episode of the Supe's On! Podcast.

How is school nutrition evolving to meet the needs of students and communities? In this episode of the NextUp Podcast, we sit down with Mallory Reeves, Senior Administrator for Orange County Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services, to uncover the stories and strategies behind modern school meal programs. Mallory shares her journey and emphasizes the power of collaboration in driving innovation. She discusses the challenges of reshaping perceptions about school meals, the importance of effective communication, and how advocacy ensures students receive nutritious meals. The conversation explores essential themes such as hurricane preparedness, where Mallory explains the steps taken to ensure students are fed during emergencies, and the innovative strategies implemented for employee recognition, including kudos programs and performance incentives that reward exceptional work. She also highlights sustainability efforts such as food recovery and gleaning, shedding light on the role schools play in reducing waste and promoting environmental responsibility. Throughout the discussion, Mallory emphasizes the significance of mentorship and community engagement, reflecting on how these elements contribute to personal and professional growth. She also opens up about balancing her leadership role with personal growth through fitness and community involvement, offering an inspiring perspective on the human side of this work. How can schools effectively recognize and reward their teams? What innovative practices are transforming school nutrition? How does community involvement create lasting impacts on meal programs? Tune in to discover the answers and learn how dedication and innovation are shaping the future of school nutrition. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more inspiring conversations! Connect with our Guests! =========================== =========================== Connect with us! =========================== Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtgen_network/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextuptalkshow/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtgenmarlon/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NxtGenNetwork365 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtgen-network/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NxtGen_Network TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nxtgen.network Media Kit: https://the.nxtgennetwork.com/MediaKit Served Digizine September 2024 Issue: https://nxtgennetwork.serveddigizine.com/view/597401989/ =========================================== Subscribe and Listen to the Next Up Podcast HERE:

In this episode of the New England Endurance Podcast, we're spotlighting Connecticut's cycling scene and introducing you to two standout leaders shaping its future—brothers Ben and Brian Wolfe! Join us as we dive into their work with the Connecticut Cycling Advancement Program (CCAP), a dynamic organization founded to make youth cycling accessible across the state. Brian Wolfe, CCAP's Executive Director, shares his vision for building one of the nation's premier youth cycling programs, fostering a supportive, lifelong community for young riders. Meanwhile, Ben Wolfe, a senior coach at Charles Coaching & Nutrition Services and a former Jelly Belly pro, talks about his data-driven, personalized coaching philosophy that elevates endurance athletes of all levels.Tune in to hear Ben and Brian share their favorite Connecticut cycling gems, including the thrilling Tuesday Night Criterium at Rentschler Field and the action-packed New Haven Grand Prix. Discover the challenges and triumphs of growing youth cycling in New England, the importance of mentorship, and how a balanced, resilient approach can unlock an athlete's full potential. This episode is packed with insights for cyclists and endurance athletes alike, as we explore the hidden gems and race stories that make Connecticut's scene one to watch and visit.For more about CCAP and Charles Coaching & Nutrition Services, check out the links in our show notes and follow us on Instagram at @newenglandendurance.Art & Eric embark on a journey to showcase and celebrate the endurance sports community in New England.

To respond and adapt at speed to evolving mission requirements, the government must modernize delivery by using a digital-first approach, incorporating automated workflow technologies to deliver standout workforce experiences, and achieve objectives quickly and securely. Tune in to this session to hear real-world perspectives on modernizing mission systems, applications and experiences. Featured Speakers:• Kinga Ulery, Director, Federal Civilian, ServiceNow• Veronica Brown, Branch Chief, Office of Program Management Food, and Nutrition Services, Office of Information Technology, Department of Agriculture• Terry Carpenter, Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer, National Science Foundation Click here to view recordingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Heather Buck, Senior System Director of Food and Nutrition Services at OhioHealth, shares how her team has revolutionized hospital food services. From improving patient satisfaction to creating memorable experiences like weddings, Heather discusses the challenges and successes of elevating healthcare dining to new heights.

In this episode, Heather Buck, Senior System Director of Food and Nutrition Services at OhioHealth, shares how her team has revolutionized hospital food services. From improving patient satisfaction to creating memorable experiences like weddings, Heather discusses the challenges and successes of elevating healthcare dining to new heights.

Food Tank, in collaboration with The Germeshausen Foundation, and Oatly, recently hosted a special luncheon event on Capitol Hill to explore issues of food access and affordability, Food is Medicine, and food loss and waste prevention. Discussions explore the interagency collaboration that is moving the needle on food loss and waste, the importance of federal nutrition programs to food is medicine solutions, and the momentum that continues to build around food systems transformation. Speakers include U.S. Congressmembers Jim McGovern, Chellie Pingree, and Ayanna Pressley; Catherine Oakar, The White House; Admiral Rachel Levine, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Jean Buzby, USDA Office of the Chief Economist; Alberto Gonzalez Jr., USDA Food and Nutrition Service; Ruth Petersen, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Sophia Adelle, Farmlink; Alexandra Ashbrook, Food Research and Action Center; Caron Gremont, FRESHFARM; Regina Harmon, Food Recovery Network; Steven Jennings, Ahold Delhaize USA; Mandy Katz, Giant Food; and Amanda Oenbring, Upcycled Food Association. While you're listening, subscribe, rate, and review the show; it would mean the world to us to have your feedback. You can listen to “Food Talk with Dani Nierenberg” wherever you consume your podcasts.

In this episode of "What's Happenin' QC", host Marc Zyla sits down with Kaitlyn Milligan, a registered dietitian with Hy-Vee grocery stores in the Quad Cities region.

Food can be considered a universal language. Everyone enjoys food whether it's a meal with close friends and family or enjoying your favorite comfort dish during a stressful time. It's a big reason why food and health care can go hand-in-hand.Alison Patt, CEO of Thomas Cuisine, Enloe Health's foodservice partner, and Ali Christensen, Enloe Health's Director of Food & Nutrition Services, join Health Matters to talk about food and health care.

On the radio show this week, we cover the Fellowship for Liberated Futures to support the healing, wellness, and wellbeing of Black women and femmes who are on the frontlines leading justice-focused work across the social sector – and dive into the importance of rest to rise (and also share some tips too!); next up we cover how guaranteed basic income lifts families and the economy alike; after that we cover the terrific new changes in WIC, how people can access WIC, and also touch on the expanded summer nutrition programs for kids; then, last we cover how Republicans are attacking access to birth control and IVF – and how we can fight for our rights together.   *Special guest include: Chera Reid, Co-Host & Co-visionary @ Fellowship for Liberated Futures, instagram.com/liberatedfuture; Aisha Nyandoro, Springboard To Opportunities, @SpringboardToOp; Stacy Dean, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, @USDANutrition; Elyssa Schmier, MomsRising, @MomsRising."

Dr. Caree Cotwright, Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity for the Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA, shares the many programs aimed at ending hunger for children in the United States. Get full information on the blog: https://thenourishedchild.com/blog

On the radio show this week, we cover the Fellowship for Liberated Futures to support the healing, wellness, and wellbeing of Black women and femmes who are on the frontlines leading justice-focused work across the social sector – and dive into the importance of rest to rise (and also share some tips too!); next up we cover how guaranteed basic income lifts families and the economy alike; after that we cover the terrific new changes in WIC, how people can access WIC, and also touch on the expanded summer nutrition programs for kids; then, last we cover how Republicans are attacking access to birth control and IVF – and how we can fight for our rights together.   *Special guest include: Chera Reid, Co-Host & Co-visionary @ Fellowship for Liberated Futures, instagram.com/liberatedfuture; Aisha Nyandoro, Springboard To Opportunities, @SpringboardToOp; Stacy Dean, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, @USDANutrition; Elyssa Schmier, MomsRising, @MomsRising.

On the radio show this week, we touch base with the award-winning author of the new book,  The Guarantee: Inside the Fight for America's Next Economy about the changes we can make together so everyone can thrive;  then we dive into the ways for kids to get nutrition support during the summer with SUN Meals, SUN Meals-To-Go, and SUN Bucks (Find out more here: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer ); after that we cover abortion access research and the impact of the Hyde Amendment; then we close the show covering the attack on birth control and how we can fight back.   *Special guests include: Natalie Foster, Economic Security Project (ESP), @EconomicSecProj; Cindy Long, USDA Food and Nutrition Service, @USDANutrition; Ivette Gomez, Women's Health Policy at  KFF, @kff; and Monifa Bandele, MomsRising, @MomsRising

Roy Pistone is the Director of Food and Nutrition Services at Citus County Schools, he's a friend, and he's a mentor to Marlon. For quite some time he's been encouraging Marlon to share his story of entrepreneurship to give people a glimpse of what he went through to build NxtGen Network and to encourage others that tasks that seem impossible can actually be possible. This episode is guest-hosted by Roy where he dives into the story behind the man who founded NxtGen Network. An influential creative marketing agency that serves those inside and outside of foodservice. =========================== Connect with us! =========================== Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtgen_network/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextuptalkshow/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtgenmarlon/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NxtGenNetwork365 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtgen-network/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NxtGen_Network TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nxtgen.network Media Kit: https://nxtgennetwork.serveddigizine.com/view/781809128/ Served Digizine April 2024 Issue: https://nxtgennetwork.serveddigizine.com/view/432503062/ =========================== Connect with our Guests! =========================== Citrus County's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CitrusCountySchoolDistrict Roy Pistone's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roypistone.ccsb =========================================== Subscribe and Listen to the Next Up Podcast HERE:

The moment Food and Nutrition Service departments across the country have been waiting for is here. The USDA just released the new food and nutrition standards! These guidelines are meant to enhance the way children eat at school, ensuring they receive healthier and more nutritious meals than ever before. But that's not all Administrator Long and Marlon spoke about. They spoke about innovative farm to school programs across the country, how the USDA is collaborating with industry members, awarding and recognizing the unsung heroes of school Nutrition, and more. By supporting school districts and empowering them to obtain equipment, fresh ingredients, and more, they are a partner in creating new standard for school meals, promoting healthier lifestyles and better nutrition for our children. Join Marlon as he learns about these initiatives and witness bare witness to the early stages of the latest evolution in FNS that are shaping a healthier tomorrow for our youth!" =========================== Connect with us! =========================== Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtgen_network/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nextuptalkshow/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nxtgenmarlon/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NxtGenNetwork365 Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nxtgen-network/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/NxtGen_Network TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nxtgen.network Media Kit: https://nxtgennetwork.serveddigizine.com/view/781809128/ Served Digizine April 2024 Issue: https://nxtgennetwork.serveddigizine.com/view/432503062/ =========================== Connect with the USDA =========================== FNS Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/USDANutrition FNS MyPlate: https://www.instagram.com/myplate_gov/ USDA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USDA/ USDA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/usdagov/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/USDAfoodandnutrition =========================================== Subscribe and Listen to the Next Up Podcast HERE:

Local food is fastest and freshest, but red tape in federal school lunch programs has sometimes forced schools to source out-of-state. After years of building relationships with Florida farmers and processors, the Hillsborough School District is serving its students an All-Florida lunch on Thursday, March 21st. We speak with Shani Hall, the district's Director of Nutrition Services. 

The Agriculture Department's is already seeing benefits from a $100 million dollar investment in one of its foundational programs. USDA is using money from the American Rescue Plan Act to modernize systems that run the Women, Infants and Children, or WIC program. For how they plan to expand the reach and appeal of WIC, Federal News Network's Jason Miller talked to the USDA's senior advisor for delivery for the Food and Nutrition Service, Rebecca Piazza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Agriculture Department's is already seeing benefits from a $100 million dollar investment in one of its foundational programs. USDA is using money from the American Rescue Plan Act to modernize systems that run the Women, Infants and Children, or WIC program. For how they plan to expand the reach and appeal of WIC, Federal News Network's Jason Miller talked to the USDA's senior advisor for delivery for the Food and Nutrition Service, Rebecca Piazza. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Thanks to a change in certification requirements for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program, all HSD students will now be able to receive school breakfast and lunch at NO COST as of Friday, March 1st. Adult meals will still be available for purchase: $3.25 for breakfast and $4.75 for lunch.  Previously, under the CEP program, approximately one-third of HSD schools were eligible for free meals. However, the certification HSD reached just prior to winter break will allow a mid-year certification of all schools that will remain in place through the 2026-27 school year.  Please note that each meal comes with milk. If your child only wants milk and not a meal, or would like an additional milk, those may be purchased for $0.75. Payments can be made by cash or check to the school or online at LinqConnect.com. There will also be some ala carte options for purchase at our comprehensive high schools.  Please also note that any outstanding balances accrued prior to Mar. 1, 2024 are still owed. Information about negative balances will be mailed directly to families on Mar. 20, 2024.  Families who have positive balances in their meal accounts will receive a letter in late March as well, asking if they would like to keep the balance in their account, transfer the balance to another student account in HSD, request a refund, or donate the funds to the nonprofit Food Services account to offset student accounts with negative balances.  For more information and answers to frequently asked questions, please see our Nutrition Services webpage.  We are excited about this change and the opportunity it provides to ensure all of our students have access to nutritious food during the school day.  Hey HSD students - do you and your friends have a “garage” band that gets together to play covers of popular songs? Or maybe you even create some original material? If so, we want YOU to perform in our first-ever Battle of the Bands at the Proud to be HSD Festival on Saturday, May 11 in downtown Hillsboro. The Festival runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and we will determine the schedule for the Battle of the Bands once we know how many entries we have. Let us know your interest by emailing communications@hsd.k12.or.us. Hot News is produced and emailed to HSD families and staff each week school is in session. Please add the address to your “safe sender” list to make sure you always receive the latest issue. Please also bookmark our district website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hsd.k12.or.us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to stay informed about what's happening in our district and schools.

Part 1 - Neville James speaks with Lizbeth Silbermann, Bonnie Brathwaite and Cindy Taggett of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Some of the 16 different USDA programs discussed are the SNAP program, WIC program, the Farmers Market Nutrition Program, the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.  

The Agriculture Department's Food and Nutrition Service helps millions of Americans of all ages every year. It operates several programs to help people of all ages with something kinda essential. The guest of Federal Drive Host Tom Temin knows the inner-workings of these numerous programs as well as anyone. Now Tameka Owens, the Food and Nutrition Service assistant administrator is a recipient of a Presidential Rank Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Agriculture Department's Food and Nutrition Service helps millions of Americans of all ages every year. It operates several programs to help people of all ages with something kinda essential. The guest of Federal Drive Host Tom Temin knows the inner-workings of these numerous programs as well as anyone. Now Tameka Owens, the Food and Nutrition Service assistant administrator is a recipient of a Presidential Rank Award. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The current administration, led by President Biden, has introduced a rule that could lead to educational institutions losing crucial lunch money funding if they resist certain progressive mandates. These new directives, falling primarily into the realm of sexual orientation and gender, have resulted in renewed uproar. The Center Square reports that failure to adhere to these agenda points may lead to a loss of tax-granting federal funds that are managed under the Department of Agriculture's operation. This dispute ignited when, in May 2022, the USDA expressed its intent to shift its longstanding interpretation of Title IX. Title IX is a comprehensive law that prescribes anti-discrimination measures in education. Recently, the department announced plans to amplify their prohibitions against sexual discrimination, including aspects of sexual orientation and gender identity. School lunch funding operates under the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service. Therefore, this means that local and state agencies, programs operators, and sponsors benefiting from FNS funds have to probe discrimination allegations that revolve around sexual orientation and gender identity. Indeed, they must also renovate their non-discrimination policies and signs to explicitly include prohibitions against gender identity and sexual orientation discrimination. This development is a fundamental departure from how Title IX had traditionally been comprehended. Sarah Perry, well-versed on this matter and an attorney with the distinguished Heritage Foundation, expressed her views on this issue to the media. As the spectrum of gender identities and orientations continues to broaden, schools are, albeit amidst political conflict, now saddled with the responsibility of maneuvering this intricate and politically charged atmosphere of sexuality and gender identity. They now do so, given the proposed rule can withstand the legal objections that have already sprung up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

***Note: The views that the guest, Christina Badaracco, expresses are from her own perspective and not of the company's*** In today's episode, we welcome Christina Badaracco, a registered dietitian and a dedicated researcher and advocate aiming to transform healthcare through nutrition. She discusses her mission to elevate the role of nutrition services in healthcare through her healthcare consulting work and to promote better health through our food system more broadly. We'll discuss the importance of agriculture in promoting healthy diets, the need to better prevent and treat diet-related conditions through food is medicine and other nutrition interventions, and tactics for changing our healthcare system to better promote health for all Americans. Christina Badaracco is a healthcare consultant at Avalere Health, focusing on evidence generation, quality measurement, and elevating the role of nutrition in healthcare. She also regularly writes, teaches, and presents about nutrition, culinary medicine, and sustainable agriculture. “I think learning about, at least to a basic level, the latest nutrition science and evidence itself, looking for ways to bring in the nutrition experts to provide that most effective care, and then really understanding the most effective means of delivering the education and empowering patients to really prioritize nutrition.” On This Episode You Will Learn: The Tie Between Grassroots Experiences and Goal of Improving Health through Nutrition Farm Bill: Contributions to Healthy and Sustainable Food Core Gaps that Still Exist How can Healthcare Professionals Help Prioritize Nutrition? Ideal World: Healthy and Sustainable Food Connect with Yumlish! Website Instagram Twitter Facebook LinkedIn YouTube Connect with Christina Badaracco! Website Instagram  The Farm Bill: A Citizen's Guide SciProfiles Advocating For a Citizen's Farm Bill Why Current 'Food Is Medicine' Solutions Are Falling ShortSpeaking Engagements --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yumlish/message

In this episode of Repast, Michael and Diana welcome Dr. Caree Cotwright, the Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity for the Food and Nutrition Service, USDA.  In her role at USDA, Dr. Cotwright leads a whole-of-department approach at USDA to advance food and nutrition security, which is one of USDA Secretary Vilsacks five core priorities.  Dr. Cotwright is on leave from her position as an associate professor in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at the College of Family and Consumer Science at the University of Georgia, where she has been since 2013.  She received her undergraduate degree in biology from Howard University before moving on to UGA, where she completed her master's and doctorate degrees in nutrition.  At the University of Georgia, she conducted early childhood obesity prevention research efforts focusing on youth ages 0-5 using innovative and multidisciplinary methods. Here, Dr. Cotwright notes how her personal background influenced her professional direction, and discusses the USDA's approach to food and nutrition security, scaffolded by the four pillars of (1) providing meaningful nutrition support from pregnancy to birth and beyond; (2) working to connect everyone in this country with healthy, safe, affordable food sources; (3) developing, translating, and enacting nutrition science through partnership including the National MyPlate Strategic Partnerships, and (4) prioritizing equity every step of the way.  She focuses on two specific programs—Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, and the new summer EPT program, scheduled for roll-out in 2024—and how the USDA is working to make MyPlate a household symbol.   You can find Dr. Cotwright's UGA profile here.Michael T. Roberts is the Executive Director of the Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy at UCLA Law.Diana Winters is the Deputy Director of the Resnick Center for Food Law & Policy at UCLA Law. You can find more on the USDA's approach to nutrition security here. Learn about USDA's MyPlate initiative here.Follow the MyPlate Instagram at @myplate_gov.Or email pictures of MyPlate in the wild or MyPlate feedback to Caree.Cotwright@usda.gov. You can find the Repast episode with former Director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity, Dr. Sara Bleich, here.

Join The MixUp as we sit down with Eric Span, the visionary Director of Nutrition Services at Sweetwater Union High in San Diego! Discover Eric's unique blend of hospitality and nutrition experience that transforms school meals into sustainable, nutritious, and educational delights for students. Tune in for an inspiring journey of taste and [Read More]

Our guest today is Dr. Caree Cotwright, director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity at the Food and Nutrition Service at the US Department of Agriculture. Dr. Cotwright is leading a USDA-wide approach to advancing food and nutrition security in the United States. Part of her responsibility includes the charge from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to make MyPlate a household name. MyPlate is the official visual reminder of the US government to make healthy food choices from each of the five food groups. Now, this turns out to be a tall but important order. About a quarter of US adults have heard of MyPlate, according to a recent survey. Interview Summary You came to USDA while on leave from the University of Georgia (UGA) where, by the way, you were the first Black woman in the Department of Nutritional Sciences to earn tenure. Congratulations for this, and please know how much I appreciate the important role that you've played in our field. So, let's start with discussing what drew you to food policy and what makes you excited about your role in public service at USDA? I am really excited about this role because it's just a privilege. When I think about the fact that USDA has the title or has a position for the director of Nutrition Security and Health Equity, I get excited about that. It's been a privilege to work on advancing all of the things that have come about because of the White House Conference. I came to nutrition policy really in a kind of a roundabout way. I was working on my master's at UGA and I was doing an internship at the Center for Science and the Public Interest (CSPI). At that time, I was wanting to write on the Nutrition Action Health letter, but they had someone who was mentoring in nutrition policy and that someone was Margo Wootan. She kind of took me under her wing and helped me to learn about what nutrition policy was.  After completing my master's and my PhD, I did my postdoc, and then did a RISE fellowship at the CDC. I was working on disseminating policy around early care and education obesity prevention policies and just really to understand the keen role that policy plays in the advancement of nutrition and policies in general. That was really eye-opening for me. I knew that during my role at University of Georgia as a faculty member that I would focus on both policy and intervention. I've had such a wonderful experience of being able to use different creative approaches, but also using policy. Some of those approaches have earned me the opportunity to talk to a variety of communities in different ways, including having a TED Talk. It's just been a joy to do this work. You've had so many interesting experiences and I could see how you'd be passionate about food policy after spending time at CSPI, especially with Margo Wootan. There aren't many people that know food policy like she does. But one thing I wanted to ask you about is one of the highly novel part of your work and your approach to nutrition has been to incorporate the creative arts, including storytelling. Tell us about this if you would. Storytelling has always been near and dear to my heart. When people ask me about that question, I've been doing it since I was about five years old when I was asked to come and give the commencement speech for my nursery school. I wasn't afraid, it was fun for me, and I just said, "Wow, this is really something that I can do." I enjoyed connecting and engaging with others. As I think about my work, I know that telling stories and using creative approaches to meet people where they are helps us to promote a variety of topics. Of course, it's kind of entertainment education, but using these approaches is a catalyst to get people interested in what we're doing. We know we're competing with so many things that pull people's attention now.  Some of the things that I've done are I have a play about nutrition for young children, I have a hip hop song. I tell stories even in my speeches because I know that when I can connect, people will remember that story. And that's so important. Through my work, I promoted the Child and Adult Care Food program. I worked on the SNAP-Ed program at University of Georgia. We've done creative things like having skits and have enough care to call Healthy Bear that the children relate to. Even in some of our work that I've been blessed to have and had the privilege to work with Robert Wood Johnson Healthy Research to have social media and to use all of these approaches, but to use it to promote health and use it to promote healthy messages and messages specifically about nutrition. That creativity and those approaches are things that I bring to my current position in thinking about how do we engage the public, especially as we continue forward with advancing nutrition security and health equity, as well as making MyPlate a household brand? I love that creativity. I think back on memorable speeches I've heard or talks I've listened to and things, very often, it's the stories that you remember. The fact that you're recognizing that, appreciating that, and perfecting it, I think is really impressive. I'm glad to learn a little bit more about that. Let's talk now about your federal service at the CDC. This was another experience that I know helped shape your interest and your passions and your desire to return to public service at USDA. That's a wonderful question. It was such a wonderful opportunity to come to CDC at a time we were on the cusp of really thinking about how do we develop and disseminate policy related to obesity prevention for our youngest children, age zero to five. I had just finished a postdoc in community-based participatory research at Morgan State University working with Head Start children. At the time when I got to CDC, we had former First Lady Michelle Obama working on Let's Move! One of the key initiatives was Let's Move! Child Care. We modeled the initiative and the work we were doing related to policy on the work of an outstanding researcher. Her name is Dr. Dianne Ward. Not only was she an outstanding researcher, she became a mentor, colleague, and friend of mine. I just have so much admiration for the work that Dianne Ward did and the trailblazing efforts that she did to advance policy in the early care and education setting related to obesity prevention, but also in equity.  So we were working on these things and my task was to go around to stakeholders all across the country and make sure that they understood what we were saying. So again, bringing in that community engagement and the training that I had, I said, "We can't just put this on a website and say, 'Hey everybody, you should go out and do this.' We have to go in and teach people and train people and explain it." Fortunately, my mentor there, Dr. Reynolds and Heidi Blanck, they agreed. I was able to go out and help to disseminate the policy, and again, it gave me such a strong and firm understanding of how to really relate.  I'll tell you just a quick story. At the time, I didn't have kids, Kelly, and we were talking about these obesity prevention policies and we said, "Okay, no screen time for children under two," and those things. It wasn't until I had kids and I thought, "Well, how do you do that?" Because it has to be realistic and you have to think about how these policies work on the ground. As I talk to childcare providers, as I talk to stakeholders, as I talk to people working at the state level across the country, we help gain an understanding for just how these policies will go into place and gain support for policy implementation because we can't do the work without the people who are working on the ground level. Two things I want to make note of that you just said. First is if it's easy to to talk about how children should be fed and learn about food until you have them, and then all of a sudden, it gets a lot more complicated, I know. But the other thing I'm grateful that you did was to pay tribute to Dianne Ward. Many of our listeners may know she was a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and recently passed away. There are people all over the country in the world who were just broken hearted by this because she was such a dear friend and colleague to many of us, and just a completely inspired researcher who wanted to make a difference in the world and really did. It's not surprising that she touched you and your professional career in such positive ways and that's true of a lot of us. I'm really happy that we were able to talk about her for a moment. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity. Let's talk more about your current position at USDA now. Can you tell us what your primary responsibilities are and what your vision is for your work ahead? Yes. My primary responsibilities are to advance the work of food and nutrition security and health equity. I know that's a part of my title, but we really are working to make sure that people are able to get access to the food they need. Our definition is that nutrition security means that everyone has equitable access and consistent access to healthy, safe, and affordable food that is optimal for their wellbeing. We do this at USDA through four pillars. We think about having meaningful support for nutrition and nutrition education, making sure that people have access to that healthy, safe, and affordable food, making sure that we work through collaborative action through partnerships, and then making sure that we prioritize equity every step of the way.  When you think about USDA and the programs that FNS has and the programs that we are working on in our mission area, we have lots of opportunities to advance nutrition security because our work is just so closely related. I work very closely with our programs and I work a lot with our stakeholders, both internally and externally, to make sure that people are aware of the work that we're doing. But not only that, that we are leveraging things like the historic White House Conference, making sure that we have lots of commitments from people all over. We've had over $8 billion of commitments. But making sure that with our stakeholders and our partners, that we lean into new creative approaches that will help us to reach our goals. We have some really big goals to end hunger, to improve nutrition, physical activity, and to reduce diet-related diseases and disparities. We are holding ourselves accountable and making sure that we're getting the word out and making sure that we're partnering in very meaningful ways.  A part of my larger vision is a part of the secretary's vision, which is to make MyPlate a household brand. We think about what does that mean? We want to make sure, you said early on that about 25% of Americans are aware of this tool, but we want to make sure that not only are they aware, but they use the wonderful resources that are attached to MyPlate because it is our federal symbol for healthy eating. It's heartening to hear about your vision and to understand the kind of progress that's being made to advance food and nutrition security, and also to specifically leverage some of the commitments that were made at the White House Conference. In addition to what the federal government can do, are there things that individuals can do like our listeners, for example, or the ways they can help? Yes, and I'm so glad you brought up your listeners because that's so important. So every voice matters. And so all of our actions add up collectively. I've heard up from some wonderful, wonderful people in West Virginia and Oklahoma, just all across the country. When I go out and speak and I tell people, "You have to help me with this mission of making MyPlate of household brand." They sent me back things that they're doing. Creative things like setting up kids farmers' markets, popup markets in places like hardware stores that don't traditionally do that. But they will set it up and let a farmer come in and set up a popup shop, and then they provide the tokens through some of our wonderful programs like SNAP-Ed and FNA. When we think about these creative solutions where there are already existing things, but we're solving a problem, we're solving that access problem. Just thinking about that and making sure that we are all collectively working together, we want to hear from you. We want to hear from you. I always give out my email. It's caree.cartwright@usda.gov. We want to hear from your ideas. We also have our pillar pages on our website. If you just look at nutrition security at USDA, we have our pillar pages so you can learn more. But we also have a very short video where we're talking about the work that we're doing and highlighting that work, and a blog that is attached to that. So again, if you're wanting to promote efforts that we're doing, that's a very quick synopsis and a short way to get it out there to people to spread the word and increase awareness about all of the wonderful things that we're doing to advance food and nutrition security. I never thought of my hardware store as a place to learn about nutrition, but why the heck not? Let's talk about MyPlate a little bit more. What's your role and how are you going to go about trying to make MyPlate a household name? It's a very multi-pronged approach. My role is to bring those creative approaches. One of the things I love about this position is that it's a culmination of so many of the things that I've already been doing. Using my creativity, thinking about the equity focus, and working with our Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion. They're a wonderful team. They've already been doing wonderful things on MyPlate but helping to amplify that work and helping to get it out there so we make it a household brand. We have a multi-pronged approach where we'll be using social media. I told you I was able to use that in my research. Not only that but doing things where we're celebrating the great work that people are doing around MyPlate. Like for example, I know in Oklahoma, they had a wonderful day at the capitol and the lieutenant governor was working with students to put food in the right MyPlate categories and making sure that people are aware of them. There are artists making songs about MyPlate. And so, making sure that we are making the public aware of what we're doing. With this multi-pronged approach, we'll be doing listening sessions. We're hearing from people about what can we do better? What do you really like? Are here things that we can change? Really hearing from the community on that level. Then, also thinking about industry and how can industry partner to promote MyPlate and promote those food categories so that people have an understanding of MyPlate and the branding of the icon. Making sure that people recognize MyPlate and the icon and are knowledgeable about the resources that we have. I'm really excited about doing partnerships because this is a one USDA approach. We're going across all levels to make sure that we get the word out about MyPlate. And we do have a MyPlate national strategic partnership with partner organizations all over the country that are already helping us to do this work. We want to attract new partners, to have new partners to come in, and lean in to help us to amplify MyPlate and all the wonderful resources for the public. I'm assuming it's pretty easy to find out about MyPlate online, is that right? It is. It's myplate.gov. It is very simple. All of our materials are branded with that, but it's very simple. You can remember MyPlate, you can remember our website. So it's myplate.gov. You can go directly there and find all of our wonderful resources, and we'll be having more, as I said, on social media. I don't want to forget this point too as well, Kelly. There are cultural adaptations. When I'm out in the field, people ask me about, what about for my culture? What about for the things that I eat? How is MyPlate relevant to that? What I love about MyPlate is that it's so adaptable. During our listening sessions and the work that CNPP is doing, we are working to address that as well. Again, meeting people where they are, having them understand that your cultural foods are healthy foods too, and how do we use MyPlate to guide our healthy choices when we're making our meal choices. Again, you look at the plate, half the plate is fruits and vegetables and that can be from a variety of sources and a variety of cultures and preparations and lots of different foods. And so we want to make sure that people are understanding that and that we get the word out there. Bio Dr. Caree Jackson Cotwright serves as the Director of Nutrition Security and Heath Equity for the Food and Nutrition Service at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In this role, Dr. Cotwright leads a whole-of-Department approach to advancing food and nutrition security. She also serves as one of two Departmental representatives on accelerating action on the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health goals to end hunger, improve nutrition and physical activity, and reduce diet-related diseases and disparities and implementing the corresponding National Strategy. Her work includes building public awareness of USDA's actions to advance food and nutrition security, as well as collaborating and building partnerships with key stakeholders to maximize our reach and impact. Dr. Cotwright is on leave as an Associate Professor of Nutritional Sciences in the University of Georgia's College of Family and Consumer Sciences' Department of Nutritional Sciences. Her research centers on promoting healthy eating among infants through age five-years-old with a particular focus on accelerating health equity among historically underserved populations via community-based participatory research and focusing on developing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining best practices and policies in the early child education setting. She has developed a variety of innovative interventions, which use theater, media, and other arts-based approaches. She is the author of numerous peer-reviewed publications and secured over $1M in grants focused on obesity prevention and health equity from Healthy Eating Research, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the USDA. From 2010-2013, she worked as an ORISE Research Fellow at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, where she was highly engaged in the early care education elements of the First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative dedicated to helping kids and families lead healthier lives. Dr. Cotwright holds a PhD in Foods and Nutrition and Community Nutrition and MS in Foods and Nutrition both from the University of Georgia and a bachelor's degree in Biology from Howard University and is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. She lives in Athens, GA with her loving husband and adorable three daughters.  

Episode 127: Dr Andy McDonald chats to James Collins. James is recognised as a leading Sport & Exercise Nutritionist. In elite sport he has worked with Team GB Olympic teams and athletes over three Olympic Games. He joined Arsenal Football Club in 2010, where he spent seven seasons as the club's first performance nutritionist. He has worked as a consultant with England Football, France Football (2018 World Cup winners), and is currently a consultant with Chelsea FC. He was a project lead of an international team of 31 authors to produce the ‘UEFA Expert Group Statement on Nutrition in Elite Football‘, the best practice guidelines within the sport, published in The British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM). James is Managing Director of INTRA Performance Group working with talent from elite sport and entertainment from their Harley Street clinic. He was previously elected President of The Royal Society of Medicine's Food and Health Forum and is author of the acclaimed book ‘The Energy Plan‘ (Penguin Random House). - Topics Discussed  Evolution of professional sports nutrition UEFA expert group statement on nutrition in elite football What should progressive nutrition look like How to periodise behaviour change How should service provision function Future direction of nutrition in professional sport - Where you can find James: Instagram Twitter Website Intra Performance Group - Sponsors VALD Performance, makers of the Nordbord, Forceframe, ForeDecks and HumanTrak. VALD Performance systems are built with the high-performance practitioner in mind, translating traditionally lab-based technologies into engaging, quick, easy-to-use tools for daily testing, monitoring and training -  HUMAC NORM by CSMI - A solution for measuring and improving human performance in the clinic, athletic training room, and research laboratory. In one machine, you'll get 22 isolated-joint movement patterns, 4 resistance modes (isokinetic, isotonic, isometric, and passive), and numerous reports to meet the measurement and exercise needs of today's clinicians and researchers. - Where to Find Us Keep up to date with everything that is going on with the podcast by following Inform Performance on: Instagram Twitter Our Website - Our Team Andy McDonald Ben Ashworth Alistair McKenzie Dylan Carmody

“Sometimes, we can only make the choices when they're available to us.” —Andy Naja-Riese  With six successful seasons behind us, we are thrilled to announce that Season 7 is live and ready for you! A hearty thanks to you for staying with us through the previous six seasons and continuously supporting the program. For us, you are not just our listeners. You are an integral part of this community.  With lots of surprises and fresh series to pique your interest, we assure this season will be a unique experience. Our aim is not just to bring changes to the food system, but also to be a trusted ally for all respected founders and leaders out there. We are setting the ball rolling for this season with our former guest, Andy Naja-Riese, the CEO of the Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM). A non-profit organization, AIM strives to educate, inspire, and connect diverse communities, dedicated farmers, and producers to strengthen local and regional food systems.  Join Justine and Andy as they continue their enlightening conversation on bolstering local farmers and promoting a superior food system. Take the plunge as they discuss the challenges in the local food system, the struggles of every farmer, addressing the climate crisis and food insecurity with agricultural techniques, eating by the season, and how market matching can help in ensuring the affordability of local produce. After all, the end goal is improved food accessibility.    Meet Andy: Andy Naja-Riese brings 17 years of experience in community food systems, public health, and food equity programs & policy. As Chief Executive Officer, he leads AIM's major programs, partnerships, strategic planning, advocacy, and fundraising, including a capital campaign for AIM's Center for Food and Agriculture in collaboration with AIM's Board of Directors. Andy joined AIM in 2018 after spending 10 years working for the Federal government, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service.    Andy is currently the Co-Chair of the Marin County Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Collaborative, serves on the Steering Committees of the Marin Carbon Project and Marin Community Health Improvement Plan, sits on the National Farm to School Network's Advisory Board, and represents AIM on the California Food and Farming Network & Food and Farm Resilience Coalition. He received the 2022 CVNL Heart of Marin Award for Excellence in Leadership and the 2023 Farmers Market Champion of the Year award from CAFF. He earned his master's degree from the T.H. Chan Harvard School of Public Health and his bachelor's degree from Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.    He lives with his husband and dog in Sonoma, where he enjoys backyard gardening, cooking farmers market hauls, eating bagels, and enjoying Northern California's natural beauty   Website Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn YouTube   Connect with NextGen Purpose: Website Facebook Instagram  LinkedIn YouTube Episode Highlights: 02:02 Creating Change One Purchase At A Time 06:53 Farmers' Challenges 12:24 The True Taste of Ripe Fruit 18:00 The Benefits of Eating by The Season  22:27 What is Carbon Farming? 25:51 What's Next for Andy?  

Students in Minnesota are returning to the classroom.   They're meeting their new teachers, seeing their friends, and, in many cases, looking forward to that first big break in their day: lunch.And starting this school year, students across Minnesota will have both breakfast and lunch provided to them at no charge. The program will cost the state of Minnesota close to $400 million in the first two years.Minnesota is the fourth state in the country to enact a universal meal program for all students at any public or private school that participates in the federal school meal program. Previously, free school lunches and breakfasts were only provided to students whose families met USDA income guidelines.  MPR News host Angela Davis talks about what this means for families and kids with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, an organization advocating to end hunger in Minnesota and a nutrition services director from a school district in Mankato, Minn.Guests:  Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan is a St. Louis Park, Minn., native, a graduate of St. Louis Park Public Schools and a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe.   Leah Gardner is the policy director at Hunger Solutions, an organization advocating with both state and federal governments to end hunger in Minnesota. Darcy Stueber is the director of Nutrition Services at Mankato Area Public Schools.Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.  Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.  

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is one of the largest poverty alleviation programs in the United States and provides help to around 14% of the US population. Since 1996, the program has required able-bodied adults without dependents to work in order to receive food assistance. Proponents of work requirements say it prevents government dependency. Critics, however, argue work requirements push out the people who need food assistance the most. Today we'll talk with two economists about the impact of SNAP work requirements: University of Rochester's Elena Prager. and Adam Leive at the University of California, Berkeley. Interview Summary   You two were part of a research team that also included economists from MIT, Harvard, and the University of Maryland and recently published an analysis of the effects of SNAP work requirements in the American Economic Journal: Economic Policy. Adam, before we jump into the study, would you tell our listeners what SNAP work requirements are and how proponents and critics see them?   Adam -  Sure. So, SNAP's work requirements dictate that some recipients must be working, training, or volunteering to receive benefits for more than a few months. So the policy is historically applied to childless adults who are younger than 50 and don't have a disability, and as you mentioned, this group is often referred to as able-bodied adults without dependents and called by their acronym ABAWDs.   So, the work requirement stipulates that ABAWDs must be working 80 hours per month, participating in a qualifying training program or volunteering. If they don't satisfy that requirement, then they're only entitled to three months of SNAP benefits within a three-year period. Counties with high rates of unemployment may temporarily be granted exemptions from the policy by USDA's Food and Nutrition Services as well. So in terms of kind of the proponents and opponents of the policy, those in favor of work requirements are concerned that providing government benefits discourages work. These people generally believe that those recipients of government assistance should work as a condition for that help. Their argument for the policy is that by incentivizing work, people will develop a stronger attachment to the labor market. Eventually they become self-sufficient, and they can earn enough to get by without the government assistance.   By contrast, the critics see work requirements as a policy that prevents people who are economically vulnerable from receiving food assistance, and it prevents them from accessing assistance in times when they need it the most. So, the opponents argue that if the reason people are not working is something other than the economic incentives of the policy, then the work requirements are really just going to cut people's benefits without getting more people to work. It's worth noting that work requirements have long been contentious and most recently were the main issue in the debt ceiling debate. So as part of that compromise, the SNAP work requirements will gradually be applied to ABAWDs up to age 55, but additional groups will now be exempt from the requirement, including veterans, the homeless, and those who are 18 to 24 who were previously in foster care.   I really appreciate how you've brought in the changes to the rules around work requirements under the Inflation Reduction Act. This is going to be an important policy discussion as we move forward. It's interesting, particularly the exemption for individuals who are unhoused because of the work that shows up in the paper that you all have. So Elena, let's now turn to you. How did you study the effect of work requirements in this paper?   Elena - As you might imagine, studying the effect of work requirements on SNAP recipients and potential recipients is actually a little bit tricky. You have to be able to find comparable groups of people, some of whom face work requirements in SNAP and some of whom don't, but are otherwise similar enough to one another that it would make sense to compare their employment trajectories and their use of SNAP. Generally speaking, you don't just directly want to make that comparison across people to whom work requirements apply versus people to whom work requirements don't apply in SNAP because they're pretty different groups. The ones who face work requirements tend to be younger, tend to not have disabilities, and tend to not have dependents like children, especially, in the household. As you can imagine, if you look at the folks who are exempted from work requirements under typical SNAP rules, there are lots of reasons why they may be less likely to hold a job than the ones who do face work requirements. They may be older, or they may be disabled. So, you can't just attribute that difference to the work requirements themselves, which means in order to study the effect of the work requirements, you have to go looking for a context where the people who face them and don't face them are much more similar to one another than that.   What we ended up doing is looking at essentially the same set of people as work requirements policies changed over time. In fact, what you end up doing is comparing the same person before work requirements exist to the same person after work requirements exist. Now, you might say, "Okay, but work requirements have been part of SNAP for decades. Where did you find a time when they didn't exist?" The answer is that temporarily, many states suspended work requirements for a few years starting in the Great Recession when the job market was very weak and it was just considered too hard for people to find jobs even if they were trying. States were attempting not to be punitive during a very difficult job market. One of those states was Virginia, and so we got very detailed data on both SNAP use and employment and earnings from employment from the State of Virginia. Then we were able to trace what happened to SNAP recipients when that work requirements suspension expired in the fall of 2013. Virginia then put work requirements back into SNAP, which meant suddenly the same people who could use SNAP without work requirements just a month before were facing work requirements newly. We could compare how their employment responses changed to the changes of the employment responses of other groups who continued to be exempt from work requirements, for example, because they were just a little bit older than 50 when work requirements came back. We followed both of those age groups, comparing whether they were working and whether they were getting SNAP for several months and years after work requirements were reintroduced by the State of Virginia. That allowed us to both solve this problem that it's generally very hard to make comparisons across groups. In this way we were comparing sort of across groups but also within the same person.   In addition, the nice thing about designing the study this way is that we got to study not just those people who got on SNAP knowing that they would face work requirements and so thinking it was worth all the administrative hassle to get on SNAP in the first place because they expected to be able to meet the work requirements and continue to receive SNAP. But we were also able to study those people who knew at the time that they got on SNAP that they probably wouldn't be able to meet work requirements if those work requirements existed. But because work requirements were suspended at the time, that actually didn't discourage them from signing up in the first place because they knew that they were going to be able to stay on SNAP for a longer time while work requirements continued to be suspended.   Great, thank you. I realize this is a critical part of your study to be able to find the exact cohort and the fact that you were able to follow those individuals over a period of time compared to what some other studies have done, where they look at the sort of a sample of people that changes on an annual basis or that's more cross-sectional. I really appreciate the great care that you all put in to discerning who that sample should be, and that offers up really clean ways of understanding the effect of a ABAWD work requirements, so thank you for that. Adam, what did your research show about who's right about the effect of work requirements? Can you help us understand that debate a little bit more carefully given the findings of your results.   Adam - Let me begin by kind of summarizing our main results. So, we found no evidence that work requirements led more people to work. The same number of SNAP recipients worked whether work requirements were in effect or whether they were not, and the large size of the administrative data that we had access to allowed us to be very confident from a statistical perspective that any effect on employment that's positive is likely to be extremely small.   We also didn't find that earnings increased on average either. However, what we did see was a substantial drop in the number of ABAWDs enrolled in SNAP. We found that work requirements cut enrollment by more than half among ABAWDs, and this is a dramatic reduction in food assistance. This drop in SNAP enrollment was largely driven by people who were already on the program when the work requirements turned back on in 2013, as Elena was just describing, but we also found that many people who were newly enrolled exited the program sooner, and then some potential SNAP recipients did not enroll at all compared to what we would've expected in a world without work requirements. So, putting all of that evidence together, overall we found no evidence in support of the arguments that are made by those who favor work requirements.   Great, thank you. Elena, do work requirements have any other effects on potential SNAP recipients?   Elena - Well, Adam already covered the two primary study outcomes that we looked at and that policymakers usually refer to, which is are people staying on SNAP and continuing to receive benefits and are people working? But in principle separate from just getting a larger number or a larger fraction of people working, economic theory might predict that work requirements could increase income, either through the amount of work or the hourly wages among the SNAP recipients who were going to be working anyway, right? We find no effect on who's working, in other words, how many people are working. But in principle you might say, "Okay, maybe those who were going to be working anyway are now more attached to the labor force. They're working more hours or more weeks out of the year than they would've been absent the work requirements." As Adam said, we actually on average did not find evidence that work requirements increased incomes, and so we can't really say that work requirements improved labor force attachment on this dimension. We ran this analysis lots of different ways, and in the vast majority of our analysis versions, we found just no change in income. But if you were very motivated to cherry pick a couple of analyses in support of work requirements and ignore the totality of the evidence in the paper, then you can find a couple of versions where there's sort of suggestive evidence that a small fraction of potential SNAP recipients, maybe something like 10 to 15%, might have had some income increases that could be attributable to work requirements.   Now, I say that you would have to ignore the totality of evidence in the rest of the paper if you wanted to run with those results because it really only was a couple out of very many analyses, and the results even there were quite weak, especially compared to the very stark findings of no effect on whether people are working and very large negative effects on people's continued SNAP receipt.   Elena, thank you for that. Do you see any differences by subgroups? I realize that's not maybe a part of the paper as it's written, but knowing that different subgroups have greater unemployment, do you see any differences, say among racial or ethnic lines or along gender lines?   Elena - Well, we essentially couldn't find effects on whether people were working as a result of work requirements for any subgroup. We are somewhat limited in our ability to do subgroup analyses because of issues like sample size and statistical power, but to the extent that we were able to cut the data, we didn't see impacts on whether people were working for any of these subgroups, which is actually very different from what we see with people losing access to SNAP. So, we saw quite a large disproportionate impact on use of SNAP, meaning people's ability to stay on the program and continue to receive food assistance for individuals with a history of homelessness. Further, here was some suggestive evidence of disparate impacts along racial lines, but that wasn't statistically strong enough for me to feel comfortable claiming anything about it.   Adam, why do you think work requirements do not have much of an impact on work?   Adam - Our results suggest that the SNAP recipients that we studied likely face other barriers that are more important for employment than the work requirements policy itself. As Elena just mentioned, we found this disproportionate effect in terms of people who lack stable housing, and that can make it really difficult to hold down a job, and to be able to apply for jobs. People may also not have reliable or affordable transportation. So, without those things, you can see how it'd be very difficult for people to maintain gainful employment. Another possibility is that people's hours may fluctuate in ways that make them ineligible in terms of meeting the requirements of 80 hours a month, and so several of those explanations come from other studies of enrollees in different safety net programs in various states. One great thing about the data we had is that we could track people's earnings and participation in SNAP over a long period of time, but we don't see information on how many hours they worked, for example, or what their transportation options were. Those are issues, though, that many others have noted as being important in different contexts, both using quantitative studies as well as more qualitative studies. We think this is something that future research should really focus much more on - how to quantify the importance of those different barriers that ABAWDs likely face, and then trying to figure out how to best design solutions that address them.   This does make me think about another potential issue, and that's the benefits cliff. So, if someone is working and there is an increase in their wages, there actually could be a drop in their benefits that they receive from SNAP, and that could make this story a lot more complicated. Elena, I do have this question for you. How did you handle individuals who dropped out of having the ABAWD status, say if they had children or if a disability came up? Was this an important factor in evaluating that subpopulation?   Elena - For the validity of the study results, it was very important for us to keep a consistent sample throughout the time period that we were evaluating these outcomes over. This meant that if people were eligible for our sample definition at the beginning, then we kept them in the sample for the rest of the time period. That means that there were some people who dropped out of ABAWD status for various reasons, and actually, if I recall correctly, and Adam can jump in if this is not right, the most common way that people in the sample dropped out of ABAWD status is by having a newly documented disability. Our understanding is that what's happening with those folks is that many of them might have been eligible for a disability documentation that would've made them exempt from work requirements even during the time that Virginia had suspended work requirements. But there was essentially no point in their going through the hassle and their caseworkers going through the hassle of getting that documentation because the work requirements didn't apply to them anyway. So, when the work requirements came back, some at least of those folks got their disabilities officially documented so that they were, again, exempted from work requirements. This illustrates why it's important for us to keep a consistent sample before and after the work requirements come back, because we want to make sure that we're not sort of changing who's in the comparison group, right? You don't want apples to suddenly turn into oranges halfway through your study period.   Adam - Elena's description was exactly right, and in terms of the magnitudes of that response - in terms of people who were exempt for a reason other than their age - it basically doubled the proportion of people who dropped out of ABAWD status. On average, about 10% of people had some exemption besides age from ABAWD status, and then we saw that the policy increased that by 5.6 percentage points, so a pretty large relative change.   Bios   Elena Prager is an assistant professor at the University of Rochester's Simon Business School. She is an empirical economist whose research is in the industrial organization of health care markets and labor markets. Prior to joining the Simon School, Prager was at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. She earned a Ph.D. in managerial sciences and applied economics from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, and an international Bachelor of Business Administration-Economics from the Schulich School of Business at York University.   Adam Leive is an assistant professor health economist at the University of California-Berkeley who uses large administrative datasets to study policy-relevant questions about health insurance and safety net programs. His research seeks to understand consumer behavior in complicated life-cycle decisions that impact economic security, such as health insurance and retirement saving. He has also recently studied the effects of employment incentives in safety net programs on labor market outcomes and program participation. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School and his B.A. from Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs. Prior to his doctoral studies, Leive worked at the World Bank and the IMF. 

Leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic, only about one in every seven students served by the National School Lunch Program also participated in free summer meals programs provided by the federal Food and Nutrition Service. The low ratio of students accessing meals in the summer compared to the school year has been dubbed the “summer food gap.” Policymakers and anti-hunger advocates have long worried that millions of children from households with low incomes aren't getting enough to eat when school is out of session, posing risks to children's health, learning, and overall well-being. This episode of On the Evidence examines what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic when the federal government temporarily waived some of its program rules, giving meal providers much more flexibility in how they fed students during the school year and in the summer months. With the waivers in place, program operators could prioritize convenience for families and avoid the spread of infection. For example, parents or guardians could pick up meals for their children at the curb or a drive-through; they could grab more than one meal at a time; and they could pick up the meals outside of traditional service hours, such as in the early mornings or evenings. The waivers also cleared the way for more summer meals sites to open, which helped establish new sites closer to where some families lived. Recent research from the Food and Nutrition Service and Mathematica shows that in 2020, with temporary program waivers in place because of the pandemic, these federal summer meals programs reached many more children and served many more meals than usual. The podcast examines why access to meals improved in the summer of 2020 and what it could mean for summer meal access now that COVID-19 is no longer a public health emergency, and those temporary waivers have ended. The episode features three guests: Shana Christrup, Lindsay Aguilar, and Veronica Severn. Christrup is the public health director for the Bipartisan Policy Center, which released a report in January 2022 that recommended changes to federal child nutrition programs, including changes that would expand access to meals in the summer. Aguilar is the food services director for the Tucson Unified School District. Severn is a survey researcher at Mathematica who coauthored the recent report on the pandemic-era waivers for child nutrition programs in the spring and summer of 2020. Read the report from the Food and Nutrition Service and Mathematica on child nutrition program operations from March through September 2020: https://smo-study.mathematica.org/ Read the report from the Bipartisan Policy Center on strengthening child nutrition programs: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/report/child-nutrition-programs/ Read Route Fifty's story on lessons from the pandemic about feeding more children during the summer: https://www.route-fifty.com/health-human-services/2023/06/federal-covid-changes-helped-feed-twice-many-kids-during-summer/387158/

DECAL's Nutrition Services Division administers the Child and Adult Care Food Program and Happy Helpings, Georgia's Summer Food Service Program. These federal nutrition programs, funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), ensure eligible children and adults have access to nutritious meals and snacks. Joining us this week to talk about Happy Helpings and CACFP is Tamika Boone, Nutrition Services Director, and Cindy Kicklighter, Nutrition Marketing and Outreach Manager.  Support the show

Powerful Tool Automates 90% of your Nutrition Services!Are you tired of spending countless hours creating personalized meal plans and educational content for your clients?Do you find it challenging to scale your business and serve more clients, while maintaining the quality of your services?Are you looking for a solution that can help improve client adherence and ultimately lead to better business outcomes? Join Our Class On How To Launch A Masterclass: 3 Pillars To Success https://my.demio.com/ref/UKoGWy4fgpaNktIMFree Trial For Medical Professionals: https://www.eatlove.is/pro/medicalFree Trial For Fitness & Health Coaches: https://www.eatlove.is/pro/fitness This episode is a live recording of a training in our FREE Facebook group “Business Growth Secrets for Health Pros and Wellness Coaches.” If you are an RD, RD2B or nutrition coach interested in learning more about how you can start and grow your nutrition business, we'd like to invite you to join us in our Facebook group where you can receive additional resources and trainings to help you on your journey. Click the link to join: https://urlgeni.us/facebook/healthcarebusinessuniversityAdditional information:If you are tired of trying to figure out this game of business, marketing, and sales, all on your own, and  you are ready to just implement what's already proven to work, rather than reinventing the wheel, schedule a COMPLIMENTARY game plan call with us by heading over to the link below right now and there you will find over $7,000 worth of trainings, resources, and coaching available only for our followers of this show.https://thepracticerevolution.co/gameplanpStay up to date with The Practice Revolution for upcoming events by following us on Instagram @thepracticerevolutionhttps://www.instagram.com/thepracticerevolution/

On today's podcast, we chat with two amazing women about a nonprofit that has quickly grown near and dear to my heart, Eat REAL. I'm joined by Nora LaTorre, the CEO of Eat REAL. Nora is currently working with over 500 schools to solve the root cause of the health crisis facing our children, and has a rapidly scaling climate change solution to boot.Joining her is Erin Primer, Director of Food and Nutrition Services at SanLuis Coastal Unified School District, located in Central California. Erin brings over fifteen years of experience in the food industry, ranging from high quality catering to hospitals and universities. With two young children of her own, she is passionate about upgrading the food that is served in cafeterias across the country. Together, they have removed fifteen pounds of consumed sugar per kid in Erin's school district while reallocating funds to local vendors supplying one hundred percent grass-fed beef burgers (served up every week), local olive oil, kiwis, and more.Eat REAL has a goal to shift $1B of school food purchasing power by 2025 to greener, more sustainable, healthier meals so every child can flourish. If you're interested in making change at the district level or in supporting policy change here in California or throughout the United States, head to eatreal.org and see how you can get involved.We also cover…00:04:19 — Transforming Food Programs in SchoolsHow Eat REAL increases awareness and access to real food in school cafeteriasThe power behind supporting local businesses & advocating for changeWho can participate in being an agent of changeSharing the story behind Eat REAL — small steps to achieve big changeSwapping packaged, processed foods, and centralized distribution to local farmersHow to create a local, diversified food portfolio, and move dollars to your local marketIntegrating food products that are abundant and accessible in your area00:20:49 — Setting Better Food Standards for KidsBoundaries on sugar intake for kidsDebunking Food Industry Myths with Dr. Robert Lustig #157Eat REAL's food values and certification standards for schoolsHow parents can advocate for alignment on rules and regulations of school lunchesSpecialty food companies that are conscious about limiting sugar in their productsPrimal Kitchen and Serenity KidsViewing schools as the largest leverage point in our food system to impact kids' healthEat REAL's assessment process – valuing nutrition & sustainability00:36:24 — More Plants Please: Getting Kids to Eat More Fruits & VeggiesRaising the bar on national school lunch standards What a typical lunch tray looks like: protein, vegetables, fruit, and grain servingsMaking...

Mike and Cam welcome Meghan Donnelly, registered dietician and Senior Manager of Nutrition Services at ScharUS. Meghan talks about the unique approach that Schar takes by having dieticians in key roles at the company around the world. They also discuss some of the innovative ways that Schar makes their products, including growing their own grains as well as the important work that they are doing to help to reduce food insecurity in the gluten free community.

"The work we do has to work for the farmers and food makers, for our team members and colleagues, and how we can build positive momentum for everyone." —Andy Naja-Riese   The Farmers Market offers a variety of benefits to the local community. They provide a convenient and accessible place to buy fresh and local produce which is often healthier and more sustainable than the produce available in the supermarket.    Purchasing seasonal produce and local products helps to support the local economy and farmers in the area and preserves traditional farming practices. These local vendors also help to offer education to the community about the importance of sustainable farming and help to strengthen the sense of community by providing a gathering place for members of the community.    Led by Andy Naja-Riese, The Agricultural Institute of Marin/AIM is helping the food system move forward by creating a Center for Food and Agriculture. This initiative aims to foster meaningful connection between the community and their local Farmers Market.   In this episode, we will dive deeper into the center of our food system and answer important questions that affect us and our environment: Is it really possible to feed everyone? What 2 factors determine a program's success? What are the benefits of having a Farmer's Market in a community? How is buying real food at the core of our food system? Is the Farmers Market all organic? How can we support equity with regards to food access? And finally, what can we learn from AIM's environmental processes? Tune in as Justine and Andy answer these questions and more! Meet Andy: Andy Naja-Riese brings 15 years' experience in community food systems and education. He is Chief Executive Officer of the Agricultural Institute of Marin (AIM), a Bay Area 501c3 educational non-profit that connects communities and local and regional food systems so the public can access healthy and sustainably-grown food. He brings a unique perspective to non-profit executive management after spending 10 years with the Federal government, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service.    While government assistance and feeding programs are intended to support health and development, there exist many inherent conflicts and political influences that often undermine the very outcomes that government programs are designed to achieve. Andy successfully navigated these bureaucratic systems to effect change so that scientific evidence would drive policy and program decisions. This experience has shaped much of Andy's thinking about our food systems and charitable food programs.    In his current role, Andy is a champion for a systems approach to connecting farmers and food producers directly with eaters while supporting education and advocacy. Andy is doing just that when it comes to directing the 8 certified farmers markets, mobile market, and educational programs run by AIM to serve 360+ small and mid-size family farmers, food businesses, and artisans from 40 California counties. Andy also shares his vision for building a new food landmark: the Center for Food and Agriculture, a world-class gathering space that takes us on a journey from healthy soils to healthy foods to healthy communities. Website Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn YouTube Connect with NextGen Purpose: Website Facebook Instagram  LinkedIn YouTube Episode Highlights: 01:39 Working for Food and Food Justice  05:54 Is It Possible to Feed Everyone?  09:46 Why Farmer's Market 14:14 The Foundation of Our Food System 17:33 Promoting Equitable Food System 22:15 AIM & Their Environmental Impact Processes