Big Changes to Your Child’s School Lunch Program

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As kids head back to school they’ll notice more than just changes in their classrooms…they’ll be seeing big changes in the lunchroom. Schools will be offering more varieties of fruit, dark green and orange vegetables, dry beans and/or peas, whole grains and low-fat and fat-free milk to their lunch programs. The new rules, established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, represent the first changes in public school lunch programs in 15 years.  And, schools will receive an additional 6 cents per meal to offset costs associated with providing more fruits and vegetables.

 

The changes are part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and are part of an overall effort to make federally subsidized school lunches healthier for kids. The new guidelines, inspired by the Let’s Move! Campaign and are based on recommendations by the Institute of Medicine, are aimed at curbing childhood obesity and improving the health of the nation’s children. One in three children in the U.S. is overweight or obese, according to the American Heart Association, triple the rate in 1963.

 

Audrey Rowe, Administrator for the Food and Nutrition Service at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said in a recent visit to MN…“the aim for these changes is not just to get kids eating better…we hope it will rub off on parents at home. If kids are experiencing fruits and vegetables at school, they will ask for them at home.”

Listen to USDA’s Audrey Rowe on MPR News talking about the new school lunch standards.

Here are the requirements for school lunches:

Fruits: More daily servings of fruit will be offered
• Grades K-8: One-half cup per day
• Grades 9-12: One cup per day
• Only half of the weekly fruit requirement can come from juice. 

Vegetables: More daily servings of vegetables will be offered; including vegetables from subgroups
• Grades K-8: Three-quarters cup per day
• Grades 9-12: One cup per day
• Weekly requirements for vegetable subgroups, including dark green, red/orange, beans/peas, starchy and others.

Grains:  At least half the grains offered must be whole grain rich. Beginning school year 2014, all grains offered must be whole grain rich
• Grades K-5: 8 to 9 servings per week
• Grades 6-8: 8 to 10 servings per week
• Grades 9-12: 10 to 12 servings per week
• Students should have at least one serving of grains each day, and one-half of offerings must be rich in whole grain.

Meats/Meat alternatives: New daily minimums and weekly ranges have been set
• Grades K-5: 8 to 10 ounces per week
• Grades 6-8: 9 to 10 ounces per week
• Grades 9-12: 10 to 12 ounces per week
• Nuts, tofu, cheese and eggs can be substituted for meat in some cases.

Milk: Offering only fat-free or low-fat milk
• Grades K-12: 1 cup per day
• Fat-free, low-fat and lactose-free milk options are allowable.

In addition to the above requirements that take affect this year, the federal government is for the first time imposing calorie and sodium limits on school lunch offerings. Dietary specifications (to be met on average over a week) are described below:

Sodium:
•    By July 2014, sodium levels for lunches should not exceed:
•    Grades K-5: 640 milligrams
•    Grades 6-8: 710 milligrams
•    Grades 9-12: 740 milligrams
•    A timetable sets targets for further reducing sodium levels by 2022.

Fats:
• No more than 10 percent saturated fats. No trans-fat, except for those naturally occurring in meat and dairy products. 

Total calories:
• Grades K-5: 550 to 650 per day
• Grades 6-8: 600 to 700 per day
• Grades 9-12: 750 to 850 per day
• Calories can be averaged over the week.

To give you a better idea of what the changes will look like – take a look at this sample sheet ”Before/After Elementary School Lunch Menu“.

The school nutrition program needs the support of parents to succeed. This is a great time to talk to your child about the changes he/she will be experiencing in the lunchroom. Be positive and encourage them to give the healthier meals a chance and to try the new foods their school is offering. You may want to join your child for lunch and talk about the healthy options…or, simply introduce more healthy options at home.  Parents are the primary role models for their children. When children see their parents choose healthy foods, they are more likely to choose and like them, as well.

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