The federal government has made a number of changes to school lunch programs across the country.
School meals offer students milk, fruits and vegetables, proteins and grains. They must meet strict limits on saturated fat, trans fat and portion size.
Here are some of the new federal standards school lunches will meet for the 2012-13 school year:
- Age-appropriate calorie limits
- Larger servings of vegetables and fruits (students must take at least one serving of produce)
- A wider variety of vegetables, including dark green and red/orange vegetables and legumes
- Fat-free and 1% milk choice
- More whole grains
- Less sodium
Some changes students may notice include:
- A limit on the of bread/grain items served
- A stricter control on protein (entrée) serving sizes
- A more varied selection of vegetables
- The requirement to take at least one full serving of a fruit or vegetable
- The removal or restriction of high sodium condiments
School lunch menus and ingredient lists can be found by visiting http://www.minnetonka.k12.mn.us/services/food/Pages/LunchMenus.aspx