💦 Mushrooms Make a Splash in Childcare Settings 

Mushrooms are perfect for child care and school meals – they’re nutritious, delicious, versatile, cost-effective, available year-round (often locally!), and sustainably produced. This month’s newsletter includes child care resources, recipe inspo and an invitation to enter the Kids Eat Mushrooms Too recipe contest!

Child and Adult Care Food Program + Resources

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is a federal program that provides reimbursements for nutritious meals and snacks to eligible children and adults who are enrolled for care at participating child care centers, day care homes, and adult day care centers, contributing to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children and adults in the U. S.

CACFP Resources

• Nutrition Education
• Program Support
• Activities 
• Toolkits

See you at the 2024 National Child Nutrition Conference!

The annual National Child Nutrition Conference is April 22-26 in Orlando, FL this year. The conference brings together professionals from child care centers, home providers, sponsoring organizations, school districts, afterschool programs, Head Start programs, Food Banks, tribal nations and State Agencies.

Mushrooms in Schools will be at booth #215 – stop by and say hi!

Recipe Spotlight: CACFP Recipes

All About Mushrooms – Resources

Whether at home, daycare, school or beyond, mushrooms are an excellent option any time of day! Not only are they delicious – mushrooms are versatile and also have environmental benefits. Learn about all things mushrooms with these free educational resources:

Classroom Education Resources

For a fun-gi filled National Nutrition Month, check out our free Mushrooms in Schools resources full of learning activities to teach all month long.

Farm to School Resources

Learn more about how mushrooms are grown with our Farm to School toolkit, which provides ready-to-go classroom and cafeteria materials to promote local mushrooms and their environmental benefits.

How Mushrooms Grow

Before they make their way to your plate, mushrooms go through a growing process in a highly controlled environment unlike that of any other produce item. Go through each step with us!

Kids Eat Mushrooms Too Recipe Contest

📣 Calling all mushroom lovers! Do you have what it takes to inspire the next generation of mushroom lovers? Here’s your chance to prove it – enter your favorite mushroom recipe to the Kids Eat Mushrooms Too recipe contest! 

We’re looking for your favorite recipe that utilizes fresh mushrooms in a delicious and innovative way.

• First Place Grand Prize: Registration for the School Nutrition Association’s Annual National Conference, National Child Nutrition Conference, or National Head Start Conference in 2025 (winner’s choice)
• Second Place Prize: Two Mushroom Grow Kits and Five Mushroom T-Shirts 
• Third Place Prize: Three Mushroom T-Shirts and Three Mushroom Sunglasses

For more information, head over to our website here. Be sure to sign up for the School Nutrition newsletter or CACFP newsletter to stay updated with the latest!

#KidsEatMushrooms2 Create Waves

If you are planning to add more mushrooms to your menus, we would love to see what you and your students are cooking up! Celebrate CACFP Week! March 10-16, 2024!

Tag us on your Facebook and/or X (Twitter) post to win a Mushrooms in Schools T-shirt. 

Every time you share your recipes, we will feature you in our “Mushrooms on the Menu” newsletter (want to subscribe? Click here). We want to celebrate all the hard work you and your team do.