School lunches have evolved to keep pace with new dietary guidelines and school meal patterns, but one food has been an enduring component: chicken. The popular protein graces the center of the plate in a variety of forms and flavors, and the new USDA Foods unseasoned chicken strip provides school nutrition professionals with a versatile and healthy option to add to their recipes, USDA said. USDA develops new products for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) based on feedback from states and school districts.
USDA’s new unseasoned chicken strip provides school chefs with versatile and healthy options.
USDA created the new product when the agency heard from many states and school districts interested in a more versatile, lower sodium chicken option for their meal programs so that school chefs could adapt it for multiple recipes. The new product works well in salads, wraps, burritos, and stir fries, among other dishes, USDA said. While the lower sodium content and the easy-to-use “strips” assist schools in meeting new meal pattern requirements.
USDA asked states to volunteer for a pilot program to test out the new chicken strip. Nine states representing all seven Food and Nutrition Service regions were selected to order the product and try it out during the fall of 2014. Their input was overwhelmingly positive and all states are able now to order the product for schools to serve in spring 2015.
