March 7, 2024 Washington, D.C. – Strawberry French Toast was on the menu this morning when the kids at Smothers Elementary School in Northeast, D.C., celebrated National School Breakfast Week, which highlights the importance of a nutritious breakfast in fueling students for success.
The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA) along with D.C. Public Schools (DCPS), D.C. Central Kitchen, and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) partnered to bring this fun, tasty, and nutritious, new breakfast recipe to D.C. students.
Alex DiNovo, who is the Board Chair of IFPA’s Foundation for Fresh Produce and President of DNO Produce sat down for breakfast with the students on behalf of IFPA, which organized the celebratory meal.
“Fun, on-trend recipes like Strawberry French Toast encourage kids’ curiosity and enthusiasm for a healthy breakfast that includes fresh fruit. It is our mission, and our joy, to create opportunities for more young people to access fruits and vegetables, while also teaching healthy eating habits,” said DiNovo.
Strawberry French Toast is one of the ten recipes featured in the Foundation’s new resource that highlights ?10 fruit and vegetable-forward breakfast recipes?that are tailored specifically for K-12 school nutrition programs.
The recipes are designed to assist school foodservice professionals in meeting new,?proposed updates to school nutrition standards?by USDA for added sugar limits. The recipes feature nutritional information as well as crediting information to align with meal pattern requirements, and guidance on serving these fruit- and vegetable-forward meals in a variety of school breakfast settings, including grab-and-go and breakfast in the classroom.?
IFPA was honored to welcome USDA Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small and Deputy Under Secretary Stacy Dean to today’s breakfast.
“President Biden recognizes that investing in high-quality, nutritious school meals creates healthier, brighter futures for kids across America,” said Agriculture Deputy Secretary Xochitl Torres Small.
“Today, I am proud to join DC Central Kitchen and the International Fresh Produce Association during National School Breakfast Week to highlight Smothers Elementary’s innovative solutions to feed kids more fruits, vegetables, and locally sourced foods. School meals ensure kids have a healthy start in life, and that is why the Biden-Harris Administration will continue working to improve nutrition to help students reach their full potential,” said Torres Small.
The Foundation’s recipe book is aligned with one of IFPA’s Commitments for the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to produce and disseminate resources to improve nutrition. It also builds on the legacy work of the produce industry to support nutrition advancements for the K-12 school foodservice community, such as advocating for the passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, donating salad bars to schools, and supporting other investments that encourage scratch-cooking and nutrition education at school.
About the International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA)
The International Fresh Produce Association (IFPA)?is the largest and most diverse international association serving the entire fresh produce and floral supply chain and the only to seamlessly integrate world-facing advocacy and industry-facing support. We exist to bring the industry together to create a vibrant future for all. We grow our member’s prosperity by conducting advocacy; connecting people and ideas; and offering guidance that allows us all to?take action?with purpose and confidence.
Contact: Ashley Sempowski, ASempowski@freshproduce.com +1 (202) 303-3406
