Child Nutrition Community Discussion May 18, 2010

The National School Lunch Program A federally assisted meal program operating in over 101,000 schools Requirements: No more than 30% of calories from fat, and less than 10% from saturated fat School lunch must provide one-third of the Recommended dietary Allowances of : Protein Vitamin A Vitamin C Iron Calcium Calories Eligibility: Free lunch – income below 130% of poverty level Reduced price lunch – income below 185% of poverty level (130% of poverty = $28,665; 185% of poverty = $40,793 for a family of four)

The National School Lunch Program For school lunch to be reimbursable by the National School Lunch Program,students must be: OfferedServed One serving of fluid milk Senior high school students must select a minimum of three of the five components. One meat/or meat alternate Two different vegetable/or 2 different fruit or 1 vegetable and 1 fruit Grades below senior high school must take all five items unless offer versus serve has been board approved. This is the case for Rocky Point, therefore a minimum of three items are required. One grain/bread (Total=five items)

New York State – Nutrient Standards for School Lunch NutrientStandard K-3 Standard 4-12 Calories Cholesterol<150 mg Sodium<1200 mg Fiber8 g Iron3.3 mg4.2 mg Calcium267 mg370 mg Vitamin A (RE)200 RE285 RE Vitamin A (IU)1000 IU1425 IU Vitamin C (mg)15 mg17 mg Protein9 g15 g Total Fat from Cal.No more than 30% Sat. Fat from Cal.No more than 10% The Rocky Point School Child Nutrition Program meets or exceeds these standards.

Required Minimum Quantities for School Lunch ItemGrades K-3Grades 4-12 Milk (must serve two types) 8 fluid ounces Meat/meat alternative 1.5 ounces meat or 3/8 cup beans/peas or 6 ounces yogurt or 3 tbsp. peanut butter or other alternatives 2 ounces meat or ½ cup beans/peas or 8 ounces yogurt or 4 tbsp. peanut butter or other alternatives Vegetables / FruitsOne-half cupThree-quarters cup Grains / Breads8 servings The Rocky Point School Child Nutrition Program meets or exceeds these standards.

Our Critical Challenges Provide a healthy lunch that meets or exceeds federal and state requirements Produce meals at an affordable price (presently $1.75 for elementary and $2.00 for secondary) Offer a menu that will appeal to children

Meeting the Challenges: Our Silent Revolution Increase whole grains – added whole wheat products where available Increase both fresh fruits and fresh vegetables Fresh fruit is served 40% of the school year Serve fresh or frozen vegetables 66% of the school year Only fat-free and 1% milk are offered (Federal mandate requires that two different fat levels be offered) Reduction of sodium Low-sodium, low-fat beef meatballs No extra salt available Condiments by packet only – limit quantities Recent critical initiatives:

Meeting the Challenges: Our Silent Revolution Increase fiber (where you least expect it!) Beans ground into taco meat Cherries in hamburgers Whole wheat pasta, bread, rolls Reduction of cholesterol in meals Virtually no trans-fats Recent critical initiatives (continued):

Meeting the Challenges: Our Next Steps Increase fiber in meals to almost twice the current level (estimated increase to cost of meal is estimated at thirty cents) Increase the availability, variety, and service of fresh fruits and vegetables (estimated increase to cost of meal is thirty to forty cents) Phase out the availability of flavored milk Continue to reduce sodium in foods served Minimize the use of processed foods in meals (estimated increase to cost of meal is thirty to forty cents) Maintain “Choose Sensibly” program for snack and beverage items Ongoing initiatives:

What about Jamie Oliver? Jamie’s Menu ItemOur Menu Item Honey coin carrots (frozen carrots) Frozen carrots prepared in a light sauce – no honey Steamed parmesan broccoliSteamed broccoli – no cheese (sorry!) Spaghetti w/meat sauce Caesar SaladCaesar Salad w/homemade croutons Sloppy JoesDiscontinued – students did not like Sloppy Joes Cheesy PizzaCheesy Pizza – also available with fresh broccoli or peppers Beefy NachosNachos and Cheese with Beef Garden SaladGarden Salad – no radishes but we offer broccoli, red onions, and homemade croutons

Jamie’s Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Compared to Ours Nutritional InformationJamie’sOurs Calories Cholesterol72 mg37 mg Sodium407 mg975 mg (due to govt. beef) Fiber5.83 g8.58 g Iron6.38 mg7.94 mg Calcium mg136.3 mg Vitamin A (IU) IU IU Vitamin A (RE)226.2 RE329.9 RE Vitamin C21.7 mg18.17 mg Protein38.97 g29.22 g Carbohydrates95.89 g g Total Fat16.74 g18.07 g Saturated Fat7.04 g5.06 g Trans Fat0 g Note: Data are for the Spaghetti and Meat Sauce portion of the meal only, as this was the recipe provided by Jamie Oliver. The school lunch meal will contain other components (milk, fruit, grains, vegetables) in order to fulfill the nutritional requirements.

About the money… School Lunch Program Cost$1,547,000 Paying for lunch: Paid lunches$470,000 A La Carte Sales$350,000 Free/Reduced Reimbursement$275,000 Free Govt. Food$70,000 Misc. Revenue$22,000 Taxpayers$360,000 Note: Through General Fund appropriations, district taxpayers fund numerous direct and indirect costs of the program such as benefits, occupancy, maintenance/custodial, insurance, indirect administration and accounting, etc.

What’s required to continue the progress? The cost of each lunch served will need to increase to as much as $3.00 over the next three to four years This will not reduce taxpayers’ contribution to the program but will fund more fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and whole-grain products. Maintain reliable sources of fresh food products Hire additional staff to prepare greater proportion of meals locally, thus reducing reliance on processed food products.

The dedicated Child Nutrition professionals are ready… …with your support, we will continue to exceed expectations.

Questions, comments, ideas?