The benefits of providing wholesome meals at school are priceless. Offering school breakfast and lunch gives students the nutrients they need to be successful at learning. Students who eat school meals have less depression and anxiety, pay more attention in class and perform better on tests.
The School Meal Program is especially crucial for those facing nutrition insecurity at home. School meals can help close the gap and get students the nutrition they need to learn, grow and be successful in life.
The cafeteria can be considered the biggest classroom in school. It’s an opportunity to teach students how to make healthy food choices that can help them thrive now and for years to come. It just takes some solid planning, good participation and a commitment to giving students what they need to lead active, healthy lives.
While the advantages to running School Meal Programs are astounding, it’s not without its challenges to bring to life. Read on to learn what it takes to serve 300-plus students at least twice a day in 20 minutes or less.
Strict Nutritional Standards
School food service programs have to follow a specific set of criteria in the foods they serve, based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines use age as the key factor to determine the minimum and maximum calories of each meal along with what nutrients are essential. They also issue sweeping guidelines to keep levels of sodium, saturated and trans fats limited.
Additionally, the guidelines establish the proper balance of food groups in school meals. So what has to be on the tray?
Breakfast
The first meal of the day must include at least a ½ cup of fruits or vegetables, and offer milk and one serving of whole grains. A breakfast with these items typically contains all four nutrients deemed a public health concern: vitamin D, potassium, calcium and fiber; milk served, containing three of these four nutrients. Students who don’t eat breakfast make it nearly impossible to make up the crucial nutrients missed in the meals they eat throughout the rest of the day.
Lunch
The midday meal also needs to pack a nutritious punch. School lunch must offer selections from all five food groups: fruits, vegetables, milk, grains, and meats or meat alternatives (to help increase the variety of protein options served e.g. lean meats, seafood, low-fat dairy foods like yogurt and cheese, tofu, eggs, beans/peas, etc). In order for a meal to be reimbursable to the school, students need to include on their trays at least three of these food groups, and one must be a fruit or vegetable.
Students, like adults, love options when it comes to our food selections. The guidelines also require food service programs to provide variety throughout the week. Take vegetables for instance. Schools have to offer selections that are dark green, red or orange, beans or peas.
Staff and Budget
As if food service managers didn’t already have their work cut out for them, feeding all those hungry students takes a lot of manpower and money. Operating as a self-sustaining not-for-profit business, school food service programs must meet nutritional guidelines on each and every tray in order to receive government reimbursement for the meals they serve. That means:
• Food service managers have to carefully budget to plan menus that meet government requirements and student preferences.
• They need ample staff to make and serve food while watching for trays that are missing key food groups.
It can be difficult to break even. The good news? The more students that participate in the meal program, the more money is put back into the school meals program at that school. With increased revenue, food service programs can offer even healthier or pricier options. So, it’s important to promote student participation.
How Dairy Helps
For decades, milk and other dairy foods have been a staple in many children’s diets and a healthy option for kids in the cafeteria line. Milk – white or chocolate - is an excellent source of protein, which keeps bellies feeling full for longer. And many kids love the taste of milk, cheese and yogurt – three ways to add versatility to getting adequate protein in the diet. In addition to dairy’s numerous health benefits, it is an affordable and convenient option for schools.
To learn more about the importance of including dairy as a part of a nutritious meal program, visit milkmeansmore.org.
SOURCES:
USDA – Offer Versus Serve Tip Sheet for School Food Service Managers:
