School meals to feature more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains

School lunches will be healthier this year

From our news partner Michael McCarthy M.D. at Local Health Guide

This fall meals offered by all school districts in King County will include more variety and servings of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

In addition, portion sizes will be adjusted to ensure the calorie content of meals are appropriate for the age of children being served.

The changes will fulfill new federal requirements for school meals issued earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

Under the new rules, menus will be designed to reduce the amount of saturated fat, tans fats and sodium.

For example, students will be offered only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties and will be required to take a half of a cup of fruit or vegetable for a complete meal.

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Shoreline Schools have been revamping their food services program for two years, under the leadership of manager Kathy Walker, with the assistance of Lia Robinson, a nutrition consultant and dietitian. A new central kitchen was constructed in Hamlin Park and Lia oversaw the transition. (see previous article)

In January of 2011, the Shoreline PTA Council created a permanent, standing committee for healthy lifestyles with the goals of reviewing ways the PTA can partner with the District, determine programs the PTA can sponsor to help foster healthy lifestyles, and advocate for programs at state and national level.

From a presentation to the Shoreline School Board, June 25, 2012:

Kathy Walker reported challenges over the past two years, but said the new, state of the art Central Kitchen, and the hiring of Lia Robinson, food services consultant, have been a great help.

She has been meeting monthly with the Healthy Lifestyles Committee of the Shoreline PTA, to discuss concerns and information, taste test, and revamp school menus.

"Breakfast and lunch menus have been simplified in order to add more “made from scratch” food items. Due to the new and more efficient equipment in the Central Kitchen, these additions have been accomplished without increasing staffing hours. Only 10 hours a week have been added to the Central Kitchen for a pilot of an in-house pizza bake and delivery system. The District is anticipating a savings of approximately $100,000 next year by not contracting out for pizza."

Some of the healthy menu changes include homemade vegetable stock and marinara sauce, vegetable lasagna and new burritos, as well as an increase in the number of baked items from the Central Kitchen.

In regard to the new federal meal pattern taking effect for the 2012-2013 school year:

Currently, the District performs nutrient standard menu planning. Next year it will be food based for lunch and then food based for breakfast in 2013-2014 school year. 

This involves five components: meat or meat alternate, bread, milk, fruit, and vegetable. 

Students will be required to choose three of the five components and one has to be a fruit or vegetable. The new rule requires increased availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fat-free and low-fat fluid milk. It also requires a reduction in sodium, saturated fat and trans fat. 

Beginning October 1, if the District becomes certified for the new meal pattern, it will mean an additional $.06 per lunch or approximately $28,000 in revenue.

Ms. Walker quoted Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture: “Kids need nurturing, and they get a lot of it through the lunch line . . . Kids get the message that regardless of their circumstances, someone cares for and feeds them.”