Foods grown by Saratoga County farmers on the way to cafeterias in the Saratoga Springs City School District. Districts across the country are integrating new food rules based on federal nutrition standards.
School districts across the country are integrating new food rules based on federal nutrition standards introduced by First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsak back in January.
The standards, which hadn’t been updated in 15 years, are based on recommendations from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies and are “expected to enhance the diet and health of school children and help mitigate the childhood obesity threat,” according to the USDA.
A statement from the Saratoga Springs City School District said that the new rules include; age-appropriate calorie limits, larger servings of vegetables and fruits, a wider variety of vegetables (including legumes), fat-free or 1 percent milk, more whole grains and less sodium.
Margaret Sullivan, school lunch program director for the district, said that the overall goal is to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in school meals, especially bean dishes.
“It’s not easy, because kids aren’t always big fans of beans,” she said. She also said the focus on beans is because they’re high in protein and very nutrient dense.
The district will have a leg up when it comes to integrating some of those new rules because many of those healthy guidelines are already in place.
For nearly a decade, items such as hot dogs, french fries and nacho sauce have been absent from cafeteria menus because the district wanted to “set a better example” for students.
“We just felt it was the right thing to do,” said Sullivan. “In addition to that (the new guidelines), we’ve been working for several years to move to more whole foods and less highly processed foods. … Now we’re ready to step up to the federal guidelines as they’re exactly prescribed, which is quite extensive.”
When classes start back up in a few weeks, students will notice more fruits and vegetables, specifically one cup of each at every meal. More varieties of produce will also be offered, nearly twice the amount offered prior to the new guidelines.
A unique district
One of the reasons why the district has been successful in revamping its menus is that it takes part in the Farm to School Program, which connects schools to farms in their communities, with the goal of serving healthy meals in cafeterias. Farm to School supports farmers by having the schools buy directly from them and providing students with opportunities to learn about nutrition and agriculture.
Nationally, an estimated 9,700 schools participate in the program in 2,255 districts across the country. New York State has more than 100programs in 15 school districts.
“When we first started looking for farmers, we eliminated French fries … and added roasted potatoes,” said Sullivan.
Along with getting more whole foods into the school came the need to educate food service workers on food preparation. To that end, the district welcomed Chef Noah Sheetz to demonstrate some kitchen skills and talk a bit about why Farm to School is important. Sheetz is executive chef to Gov. Andrew Cuomo and has long been a proponent of the program.
Sullivan said having Sheetz visit was very good for the foodservice workers. As the district moved away from more processed foods, signs describing the farm foods were displayed in the cafeterias – helping kids make the connection to healthier foods.
Also bringing home that connection are the five school gardens within the district.
“Many children have no idea how food grows,” Sheetz said. “You can ask them about a vegetable growing in a garden, like potatoes or summers quash, and they have no idea what it is. Teaching them how food grows and how good it can be in a minimally processed form is an invaluable healthy lesson. They learn how much more nutritious it is without being processed.”
Cost
The cost of implementing the new guidelines remains to be seen. Sullivan said many factors will influence the bottom line, not the least of which is participation.
“The more kids that participate, the more financially solid we’ll be at that point,” she said.
For now, she estimates a 6 cent increase per meal, but it will be absorbed within food services. Meal prices will remain the same as last year. As the school year progresses, the district will have a better idea of what the cost will be, and there may be a price increase in the future.
Neighboring district Shenendehowa is also facing a price increase due to the new guidelines.
Kathleen Wetmore, assistant superintendent for Shenendehowa Central Schools said that the cost of her district implementing the new food rules was still being worked out, but it would likely mean a 5 cent increase for all meals across the board. Discounted meals will remain at 25 cents.
For more information on the guidelines within the Saratoga Springs City School District, visit www.saratogaschools.org/foodservice.
Marcy Velte contributed to the reporting of this story.
