Team Nutrition

Team Nutrition is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiative to strengthen Child Nutrition Programs and nurture lifelong healthy eating skills. Through Team Nutrition, USDA offers training and high-quality resources to support Child Nutrition Program operations and promote nutrition education. USDA also awards competitive Team Nutrition grants to facilitate innovative training, technical assistance, and resource development.

Washington State Team Nutrition Projects & Resources

OSPI uses Team Nutrition grant funds to create training and resources centered on the needs of Washington’s Child Nutrition Program sponsors. 

See below for recent Team Nutrition Grants Awarded to Washington State by fiscal year (FY).

FY 2024: Meal Pattern Modernization

Through the FY 2024 Team Nutrition grant, OSPI provides training, technical assistance, and resources to support implementation of the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines. Grant Period: October 2024–September 2027.

Meal Pattern – Final Rule Canvas Training Module  

The Meal Pattern – Final Rule Canvas training module covers changes to school meal programs as a result of the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The module includes downloadable resources and customizable materials for staff training. 

This module focuses on provisions effective July 2024 and July 2025, including:

Requirements

• Product-Based Added Sugar Limits
• Medical Statements from Registered Dietitians
• Afterschool Snacks
• Buy American Provision

Flexibilities

• Meats/Meat Alternates at Breakfast
• Substituting Vegetables for Grains in Tribal Communities
• Traditional Indigenous Foods
• Substituting Vegetables for Fruits at Breakfast
• Beans, Peas, and Lentils at Lunch
• Geographic Preference

Other changes and clarifications

Take the training:

The Meal Pattern – Final Rule module is available in the School Meals programs Canvas course.
•    If this is your first time accessing the School Meals Programs Canvas course, please use this enrollment link to enroll before going to the module link. 

Rooted in Excellence Awards

Through the FY 2024 grant, OSPI created the Rooted in Excellence Awards to recognize excellence in school nutrition programs in Washington. School Food Authorities can apply for recognition in seven categories: Breakfast Excellence, Culturally Inclusive Meals, Farm to School, Scratch Cooking, Marketing and Promotion, Nutrition Education, and Partnerships and Engagement. OSPI recognized the first Rooted in Excellence recipients in Spring 2026 and will offer the awards each year.

Building on the success of the School Meals awards program, OSPI expanded Rooted in Excellence with award opportunities for Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) sponsors. 

Learn more:

Visit the Rooted in Excellence Awards page to learn about award opportunities and recent award recipients. 

FY 2023: Nutrition Education for School-Aged Children

Through the FY 2023 Team Nutrition grant, OSPI launched Power Up Your Program, which offers training and tools to support the four grant objectives: nutrition education to increase consumption of nutritious food and beverages, promoting the nutritional contribution of USDA Child Nutrition Programs, increasing culturally inclusive meals, and reinvigorating Local School Wellness Policies. (Grant Period: October 2023–September 2026) 

Power Up Your Program Canvas Courses & Toolkits

Power Up Your Program offers action-focused training, toolkits, and resources focused on four learning pathways: 

• Culturally Inclusive Meals
• Local School Wellness Policies 
• Nutrition Education
• Program Promotion & Marketing

The courses were designed for School Meals and CACFP Afterschool Meal Programs, but many of the resources and the action planning tools can benefit other Child Nutrition Programs.

Updated Canvas courses coming soon!

As the FY 2023 grant period ends, the Power Up Your Program courses and toolkits will be available for sponsors to enroll and complete independently on the timeline that fits their needs. Updated courses will be available in late Summer 2026 and will be announced in the S.S.T.A.R. newsletters.

Power Up Your Program Success Stories

During school year (SY) 2024–25 and SY 2025–26, Child Nutrition Program peers from across Washington joined Power Up Your Program to take action on program enhancements.  These success stories from the SY 2024–25 cohort highlight participants’ incredible work to enhance nutrition education and cultural connections for their students and families. SY 2025–26 success stories are coming soon!

Culturally Inclusive Meals:

• Ellensburg School District
• Highline Public Schools
• Issaquah School District
• Selah School District
• Vancouver Public Schools
• West Valley School District - Yakima

Nutrition Education:

• Granite Falls School District
• Griffin School District
• Highline Public Schools
• Northshore School District
• Okanogan School District
• YMCA of Grays Harbor

FY 2022: School Nutrition Professional Readiness and Retention

OSPI’s FY 2022 Team Nutrition Grant focused on coaching and mentoring for school nutrition professionals. OPSI partnered with Northeast Washington Educational Services District (NEWESD) 101 to expand the Child Nutrition Cooperative mentorship program. During the project, OSPI and NEWESD 101 worked collaboratively to mentor 32 School Food Authorities in four ESDs covering central, southeastern, south Puget Sound, and the northern peninsula regions. (Grant Period: July 2022–June 2024)

Child Nutrition Cooperative

The Child Nutrition Cooperative offers intensive mentorship to school nutrition directors and staff in all of Washington’s Educational Services Districts (ESDs). The Child Nutrition Cooperative offers a fee-for-service program with support customized to districts’ needs. Below you can find the contact information for your ESD.

ESDs 101, 105, 123, 171, and 189: 

• NEWESD 101 Child Nutrition Cooperative
• Contact Abby Miller

ESDs 112, 113, 114, 121:

• Capitol Region ESD 113 Child Nutrition Cooperative
• Contact Meredith Arseneau

Project Abstract - Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior

Expanding the Child Nutrition Cooperative Mentorship Program for School Nutrition Professionals in Washington State. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. Volume 56, Issue 8, Supplement 1, August 2024, Page S10.

FY 21: School Meal Recipe Development

The purpose of the FY 2021 Team Nutrition Grant was to build capacity to develop standardized recipes for School Meal Programs and create a repository of recipes featuring local agricultural products. Washington State approached this goal by providing recipe development training and engaging four School Food Authorities to create 16 new standardized recipes featuring local foods. (Grant Period: November 2020–December 2022).

Recipe Development Canvas Course (for School Meal Programs)

This recipe development training is a self-paced Canvas course that breaks down recipe development and standardization into easy-to-understand steps so that busy child nutrition professionals will feel comfortable embarking on the recipe standardization processes in their own kitchens. The course includes:
•    Benefits of scratch cooking, local sourcing, and recipe standardization.
•    Components of a standardized recipe 
•    The recipe standardization process: recipe verification, product evaluation, and quantity adjustment.
•    Promoting recipes and educating students
•    In-house yield testing

Take the training:
•    Use this enrollment link to join the Recipe Development course. Enrolling will add the course to your Canvas dashboard.

FY21 Grant Recipe Collection

Through the FY21 Team Nutrition Grant, Washington State awarded subgrants to four School Food Authorities (SFAs) to develop, test, and standardize culturally inclusive recipes featuring at least one Washington agricultural product.

The recipes developed by the four FY 2021 subgrantees are included in the Child Nutrition Recipe Box.

Bellingham Public Schools

• Beet Hummus (Local Agricultural Products: Chickpeas, Beets)
• Chickpea Masala (Local Agricultural Products: Chickpeas, Cauliflower, Onions, Peppers)
• Tortilla Soup (Local Agricultural Products: Chicken, Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes)

Highline Public Schools 

• Black Bean & Cheese Pupusas (Local Agricultural Products: Mozzarella)
• Chicken Pozole (Local Agricultural Products: Cabbage, Onions)
• Lemony Kale Quinoa Soup (Local Agricultural Product: Kale)
• Berry Cornmeal Muffins (Local Agricultural Products: Huckleberries or Blueberries)
• Salmon Tacos (Local Agricultural Product: Salmon)

La Conner Public Schools

• Salmon Corn Chowder (Local Agricultural Product: Salmon)
• Chicken Tinga (Local Agricultural Product: Chicken)

Orcas Island School District

• Braised Beef Birria (Local Agricultural Product: Beef)
• Mexican Lamb Picadillo (Local Agricultural Product: Lamb)
• Tex Mex Meatloaf (Local Agricultural Product: Beef)
• Kale Rumbledethumps (Local Agricultural Products: Kale)