Nutrition Training Grants Announced

September 25, 2000

Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman has announced grants totaling $3.2 million to 33 states for "Team Nutrition" training programs. The 33 States receiving the grants will develop new training programs on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2000 through state agencies that administer the National School Lunch Program and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

Team Nutrition is a nationwide campaign that involves school children and their parents in nutrition education programs at home and in the classroom. The program also trains food service professionals in improved techniques for preparing nutritious, appealing meals.

USDA's l999 Team Nutrition Evaluation Study found that nutrition education and promotion activities lead to improvement in students' eating behavior, but cautioned that lessons and behaviors must be reinforced. The wide range of Team Nutrition activities, in addition to classroom lessons and meal improvements, made an important difference to schools that participated in the study.

Additional information is available on the Internet at http://www.fns.usda.gov/fns/.