TK-8 District of Choice
Nutrition Standards
Feeding the Future
Today’s school meals are healthy and meet strict federal nutritional standards, including limits on calories, sodium and unhealthy fats. The nutrition standards, or meal pattern, is based on the Institute of Medicine’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans and requires schools to offer students the right balance of fruits, vegetables, low-fat or fat-free milk, whole grains and lean protein with every meal.
Updated School Meal Standards:
The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA) made significant updates to school meal standards for the first time in 15 years. The new regulations, effective beginning in 2012, require cafeterias to offer more fruit and vegetables, including vegetable subgroups like dark leafy greens and legumes to ensure students are consuming a variety of nutrient dense foods. It also included mandating whole grains, and sodium, calorie and fat limits in every school meal.
New Snack Standards:
To ensure all foods and beverages sold in school during the school day are healthy choices, HHFKA also required new nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold in competition to school meals. These “competitive foods” are sold in vending machines, student stores and a la carte lines. USDA’s “Smart Snacks in School” standards took effect on July 1, 2014.
Evergreen School District has developed Nutrition & Food Guidelines, in conjunction with the District Wellness policy, that further build upon the nutrition standards and hard work of child nutrition programs. Like reading, writing, teeth-brushing, and hand-washing, learning good food habits is a skill that can help your child live a healthy, satisfying life. Please support us in nurturing good food habits by following the Nutrition & Food Guidelines set forth by Evergreen School District.
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