5 things: President’s budget proposal looks to expand CEP to 9 million more kids

In this edition of 5 Things, Food Management highlights five things you may have missed recently about developments affecting onsite dining.

Here’s your list for today:

1.    President’s budget proposal looks to expand CEP

The Biden-Harris Administration has released its budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2024, with provisions for the USDA supporting the goals of the 2022 White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health by providing $32 billion for Child Nutrition Programs. It also proposes to allow more states and schools to leverage participation in the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) to an additional nine million children at a cost of $15 billion over 10 years.

Read more: Statement by Secretary Vilsack on the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget

2.    Yale will subsidize meals over spring break for students staying on campus

 After an initial email informing Yale University students that meals over spring break would cost $37.08 per day, or $556.20 for the entire spring break, Director of Yale Hospitality Bob Sullivan reversed course and announced that the meals would in fact come at no cost, with four of the university's 14 residential dining halls remaining open over the spring recess, which lasts from March 10 to March 27. The change came after students expressed concern over the price of meals over break. In his email, Lewis noted that the university will essentially be subsidizing spring break dining, as the meal plan does not cover the cost of meals over spring break.

Related:5 things: United Center food workers strike threatens Big Ten basketball tourney

Read more: Students react to change in spring break meal plans

3.    Report finds school meal participation rose in 2021-22 over pre-COVID levels

A report released during National School Breakfast Week by the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) reveals that just over 15.5 million children received a breakfast, and 29.9 million children received a lunch on an average day during the 2021–2022 school year, an increase of 11.2% for breakfast and 51.1% for lunch compared to the previous year, and slightly above participation prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. “This sharp increase in participation demonstrates what is possible when meals are provided to all students at no charge and children are back in school,” said FRAC President Luis Guardia. “Congress must build on this lesson learned and make healthy school meals for all a permanent reality for all children across the country.”

Read more: School Meal Participation Dramatically Increased As Kids Returned to School and to Free School Meals, Report Finds

Related:5 things: Laid-off Meta cafeteria workers want same severance benefits as company employees

4.    Amenity-rich offices more likely to get staff back, data shows

Visits to Class A buildings in Manhattan far outpaced visits to Class B buildings, according to a new dataset from the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY) that looked at location analytics—from randomized Placer.ai cellphone data—to assess how many visits were made to 250 office buildings across midtown, midtown south and downtown Manhattan in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Being at a prime location with great amenities "is going to give you at least a leg up in getting folks back to the office," remarked Keith DeCoster, director of market data and policy for REBNY, about what the data reveals.

Read more: When it comes to office buildings, it's survival of the fanciest

5.     Medical students take culinary class to learn how to use food as medicine

Fourth-year medical students at the University of Central Florida (UCF) can enroll in a Culinary Medicine elective course that combines the science of food and nutrition with healthy cooking techniques taught by a faculty that includes physicians, dietitians and chefs, with the goal of teaching future doctors the role food plays in good health and management of disease. Participating students met weekly at UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, where they received hands-on training from chef Jay Judy on a range of topics from knife skills to making a healthy and tasty vinaigrette. During a recent class, they learned to prepare avocado salad and grilled chicken.

Read more: UCF Medical Students Learn How to Use Food as Medicine

Bonus: IFMA announces the 2023 Silver Plate Award winners

Contact Mike Buzalka at [email protected]