1 Lunch Meal Pattern Part Two Dietary Specifications Lunch Requirements Menu Planning Resources

2 Dietary Specifications Requirements (Commonly Known as Nutrients) 1.CaloriesWeekly Requirement 2.SodiumWeekly Requirement 3.Saturated FatWeekly Requirement 4.Trans FatDaily requirement

3 1. Calories Calorie ranges are weekly averages. Student selections may be above or below the ranges. The intent is not to reduce the amount of food but to avoid excessive calories. The meal patterns provide more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and result in more nutrient-dense meals. Does not apply daily or per meal. It applies over the entire week.

4 2. Sodium Timelines For Complying With The Sodium Targets Sodium is another dietary specification that must be met. This is the chart with timelines for complying with the sodium targets. This requires schools to make a gradual reduction in the sodium content of the meals, as recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). USDA recognizes that it is difficult to achieve substantial reductions in sodium immediately. Therefore, schools are required to meet two intermediate sodium limits, as well as a final limit. Target 1 is currently in effect for SY

5 2. Sodium Does the sodium limit apply to each meal offered? No – the sodium limit applies to the weekly average of meals offered over the school week. The sodium limit does not apply daily or per meal.

6 2. Sodium Reduction Efforts When preparing bid specifications, state the specific milligrams of sodium you will accept in a product. Modify procurement specifications and recipes to meet sodium limits. Resources for Reducing Sodium Link to Team Nutrition Healthy Meals Resource System website Link to Team Nutrition Healthy Meals Resource System website Link to Institute of Child Nutrition (Formerly National Food Service Management Institute) Sodium InformationLink to Institute of Child Nutrition (Formerly National Food Service Management Institute) Sodium Information Link to USDA Food Fact Sheets for Sodium Link to What’s Shaking: Creative Ways to Boost Flavor with Less Sodium website

7 3. Saturated Fat There is a limit of less than 10% of total calories from saturated fat. The 10% limit: Applies to the weekly average. Does not apply daily or per meal. Is the same as the previous regulatory standard. Total Fat: There is no total fat limit.

8 4. Trans Fat Nutrition label or manufacturer’s specifications must specify zero grams of trans fat per serving (less than 0.5 gram per serving). Naturally-occurring trans fat is excluded for items such as beef, lamb, dairy products. For mixed dishes containing beef, lamb, or dairy products: The only clear way to determine if a product is in compliance with the new trans fat requirement is to request the information from suppliers regarding how much of the trans fat is naturally occurring versus if any other ingredients contain trans fat.

9 Lunch Requirements 9

10 Training and Signage All schools must identify food items that make a reimbursable meal at or near beginning of line. Schools using OVS must identify what food items students must select as part of a reimbursable meal. Point of Service and serving line staff must be trained on what makes a reimbursable meal: Example #1: Knowing if duplicate items are allowed Example #2: Recognizing appropriate serving sizes

11 Meal Identification All menu items on serving line must be: Identifiable Labeled Listed at the beginning of serving line Listed prior to Point of Service (POS) MDE may authorize alternatives to Point of Service lunch counts. All items must be labeled in the same way as POS items. There must be a system in place to ensure all meals are reimbursable.

12 Pre-Plating, Pre-Packaging And Bundling Pre-plating/pre-packaging/bundling is allowed. SFAs are encouraged to offer choices to the extent possible.

13 Menu Planning Section

Menu Planning When you are planning a lunch, you must offer 5 components: Fruit Vegetable Grain Meat/Meat Alternate Milk 14

Components vs. Items A component is one of the 5 food groups that comprise a reimbursable lunch and must be offered: Fruit Vegetable Grain Meat/Meat Alternate Milk An item is a specific food offered within the 5 components and can consist of several food components 15

16 Menu Planning for Grades K-5 and 6-8 The meal requirements for K-5 and 6-8 grade groups overlap. A single menu can meet the needs of children in grades K-8. The daily minimum requirements for food components are identical. The menu must meet following requirements:  8 oz eq grains/week (minimum)  9 oz eq meats/meat alternates/week (minimum)  Average daily calorie range

17 Menu Planning for Grades 6-8 and For schools with grades 6-8 and 9-12, one way to simplify menu planning is: Start with a menu that is appropriate for grades 6-8. Add in a few additional foods to serve to the older grade group. 2. Some modest adaptations to menus that accommodate needs of older students are: Offer ½ cup more fruit daily Offer ¼ cup more vegetables daily 3. Remember that meals for older students require: ½ cup more red/orange ¼ cup other ½ cup additional (any subgroup) some time during the week These changes alone may meet calorie needs for the 9-12 group. 4. Consider an additional oz eq of grain and/or meat/meat alternative for the older students.

18 Short and Long Weeks: Clarifications When a school operates on a cycle that is shorter or longer than a standard 5 day week, menu planners should increase or decrease weekly requirements by 20% for each day that is over or under a standard 5 day week schedule. There are tables for shorter and longer weeks. For occasional short weeks, such as holiday or conference schedules that include additional half days or full days off: Menus do not have to be adjusted. Menus must still be consistent with intent of meal pattern.

19 Multiple Offerings: Daily Minimum 1. All component offerings must meet the daily minimum requirement. Example: When offering pizza and a sandwich for Grades 9-12 on a daily basis, both items should contain 2 oz eq grains. 2. The average of the Grain or Meat/Meat Alternative ounce equivalents offered cannot be used to meet the daily minimum requirement. Daily minimum requirements must be met each day of the week. Example: The weekly average equals 10 eq grains, but that week: Two days are under the 2 oz eq daily minimum requirement. Three days are over the 2 oz eq daily minimum requirement.

20 Multiple Offerings: Weekly Ranges Weekly range for Grains and Meat/Meat Alternates (M/MA): 1.The sum of all daily minimum requirements for grains and m/ma must meet at least the weekly minimum requirement for both components. 2.Each line or station must meet all the daily and weekly minimums for grains and m/ma. 3.Remember to treat each serving line as its own meal.

21 Multiple Offerings: Clarifications Each independent line must meet the daily and weekly requirements (including subgroups) If different stations available for selecting components, then all the stations as a whole must meet the daily and weekly requirements. If all students have access to the same salad bar, which contains fruit and/or vegetable components, then subgroups could be met over the week (providing all vegetable subgroups are offered over the course of a week on the salad bar).

22 Combination Foods at Lunch Combination foods at lunch are foods that contain more than one food component. 1. While an entrée may be a single “item”, it may in fact, consist of more than one food component as outlined in the school meal pattern. Examples: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce Hamburger on Bun Macaroni and Cheese 2. Meals can provide five food components yet feature only four food items on the menu. Examples: Cheese Pizza - combination food of WG crust (grain) and cheese (m/ma) Fresh Apple (fruit) Lettuce Salad (vegetable) Milk (milk)

23 Sample Menus Menus That Move The following slides show lunch menus that were developed by the State of Ohio. These menus are: Good examples that may help you when planning menus Posted on the USDA Best Practices Sharing Center website These menus meet nutrient standards, provide all recipes, and are: Seasonal Grade specific 6 cent compliant

24 5 Week Cycle Menu You can see that the menus provide a seasonal 5 week cycle menu.

25 Whole Grain Substitutes Notice how the menus meet all the meal pattern requirements. You can easily substitute WGR products to meet the WGR requirement if you do not have an exemption for specific grain items.

26 Resources Page 1 This list of links provides you access to many resources for school meal programs. Link to USDA Website Link to Child Nutrition Programs School Meals Home Page Link to FNS New Meal Pattern Website Link to Best Practices Sharing Center Link to USDA Technical Assistance Resources Link to Whole Grain Resource Link to Healthier School Day Website Link to Fact Sheets for Healthier School Meals Link to USDA Food Buying Guide Link to Food Buying Guide Calculator Link to Healthy Kids Cookbook Recipes Link to Choose My Plate Resources Link to Fruits and Vegetables Galore: Helping Kids Eat More Link to TN Healthy Meals Resource System

27 Resources Page 2 This list of links provides you access to many resources for school meal programs. Sodium Link to Fact Sheets for Healthier School Meals Link to Institute of Child Nutrition (formerly NFSMI) Link to USDA Foods Link to Guidance for Accepting Processed Product Documentation Child Nutrition Labeling Program Link to USDA Labeling Program Link to Label Watermark Memo SP (v2) Link to Watermark Label Administrative Review Process SP Link to Watermark Label Administrative Review Process SP Link to How USDA Foods Support Meal Pattern Requirements (Chart) Link to How USDA Foods Support Meal Pattern Requirements (Chart) Link to USDA Complete List of Available Foods Link to USDA Foods Fact Sheets

28 Technical Assistance Resources NEW! SP : Offer Versus Serve: Guidance for the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program NEW! SP (v.9): Q and As on "Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs" SP : Grain Requirements for the National School Lunch & School Breakfast Programs Link to FNS USDA School Meals Policy website

29 Conclusion This concludes the Lunch Meal Pattern - Part Two training module. There is a companion training module, Lunch Meal Pattern – Part One, that should also be viewed in order to gain a complete understanding of the Lunch Meal Pattern in the National School Lunch Program. It is recommended to view Part One first, prior to viewing Part Two.