USA Rice Announces 2010 K-12 "Healthy Rice Bowls Contest" Winners

The USA Rice Federation today announced winners of its annual "Healthy Rice Bowls" contest for K-12 school menu planners. The grand prize winner is Cynthia Ruffin, director of child nutrition for St. Charles Parish Public Schools, located in southeast Louisiana, the third largest rice-producing state. Working closely with Tulane University dietetic interns, Ruffin created a "Build-A-Bowl" rice bar featuring three options: Sweet and Spicy Chicken Rice Bowl, Thai Curry Rice Bowl and California Sushi Rice Bowl.

The new offerings were tested at Destrehan High School in Luling, LA and boosted school lunch participation by 24 percent during the promotion. St. Charles Parish Public Schools provides meals for nearly 10,000 students in 20 schools daily.

"Introducing new flavorful rice dishes was such a success that we are planning to feature the rice bowl bar regularly," said Ruffin.

USA Rice also awarded two runners up—

• Cathy Getz, foodservice director and Michael Williams, café worker for Kayenta Unified School District in Arizona for their Calabaza con Pollo con Arroz and K-Town Rice Bowls.
• Donna Miller, cook manager for Chicopee School District in Massachusetts for her custom rice bowl bar featuring Asian and Caribbean flavors.

Ruffin received $500 towards her schools education fund. All winners received personal and commercial Aroma rice cookers and will be featured on MenuRice.com.

USA Rice is a longtime educator and advocate for child nutrition, actively supporting school foodservice efforts to serve wholesome, balanced meals every day. Enriched white and whole grain brown rice combined with fresh vegetables, beans and lean meats provide an ideal foundation to meet these dietary goals. Additionally, brown rice is an easy way to boost the number of whole grain servings on menus, a primary focus of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Healthier US School Challenge program designed to help schools serve healthy, satisfying foods.

For more on the winners and other entries, as well as recipe ideas, visit 2010 Healthy Rice Bowls Contest Winners.

The USA Rice Federation is the global advocate for all segments of the U.S. rice industry with a mission to promote and protect the interests of producers, millers, merchants and allied businesses. About 85 percent of the rice consumed in the U.S. is grown here. U.S. rice farmers produce an abundance of short-, medium-, and long-grain rice, as well as organic and specialty rices such as jasmine, basmati and Arborio, in Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Texas, according to the highest-quality and wholesomeness standards. Sustainably grown U.S. rice helps to reduce your food miles because it is a domestically grown product. Look for the "Grown in the USA" logo on packages of 100-percent U.S.-grown rice.

For more information, contact Rosa Brantley Garcia at (410) 715-1500 x152.