INNOVATION Services in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District in California. Erin buys food from local growers and producers whenever possible to add regional interest to her menus and keep funds in the community. Find this and many more The MixUp podcast episodes on our website .
For over 30 years, the Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) has worked to help Child Nutrition Program operators remain up to date on best practices in preparing and serving meals to children. In 2019, ICN launched the Culinary Institute of Child Nutrition (CICN), an education branch focused on culinary skills development. CICN’s mission is to provide training and technical assistance to help child nutrition professionals develop goals and implement best practices to improve the culinary aspect of program operations. At CICN, we promote child nutrition innovation through various channels and media. Our podcast, The MixUp , features inspiring stories from leaders in school nutrition innovating their programs.
CICN also hosts monthly webinars covering timely topics with guest speakers sharing their success stories. Our monthly webinars help program operators gather new ideas on best practices by offering themes such as flavor development strategies, batch cooking for optimal quality, engaging student influencers in menu planning, and Grab-and- Go menu options for busy students on the go. Our monthly webinars reach about 1,000 or more participants from every U.S. state and territory. Archived webinars are available for viewing through iLearn, ICN’s free, self-paced online course platform.
For example, in a recent podcast we learned about local purchasing from Erin Primer, Director of Food and Nutrition
Garrett Berdan is a registered dietitian nutritionist and chef with a passion for advancing school meal programs. In April 2021, Garrett joined the ICN as an Education and Training Specialist for the CICN. Garrett’s 12 years in school nutrition includes consulting, culinary training, quantity recipe development, food communications and marketing services. He has also worked as a child nutrition specialist with the Oregon Department of Education Child Nutrition Programs, and most recently as the menu planner and area supervisor for Spokane Public Schools. Garrett is a graduate of Washington State University and The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. In 2011 The White House honored Garrett as a Champion of Change for his work with school nutrition programs and Chefs Move to Schools. Garrett’s experience with Chefs Move to Schools is featured in First Lady Michelle Obama’s book American Grown. Education and Training Specialist Chef Garrett Berdan, RDN
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