BATTLE MOUNTAIN - This fall, school cafeterias across the country are undergoing exciting changes and Nevada is no exception! As you may have heard, new federal nutrition standards for school meals which aim to ensure that meals are healthy and well balanced are being put into action. The new standards were put in place in an effort to help provide students with the nutrition they need to succeed at school, and be a center point for teaching children healthy eating habits. Now is a great time to encourage your child to choose school lunch!
School meals must offer students milk, fruits and vegetables, protein and grains and they must meet strict limits on saturated fats and portion size. Starting this fall, school lunches will also meet additional standards requiring:
• Age appropriate calorie limits
• Larger servings of fruits and vegetables
• A wider variety of vegetables, including dark green and red/orange vegetables and beans/legumes
• Fat free or 1% milk (flavored milk must be fat free)
• More whole grains
• And less sodium
Please join us in celebrating these new changes by joining your child for a school lunch in the month of October. Not only will this allow you to see the exciting new changes, but you can also serve as a positive role model! Parents play a key role in the eating behaviors of their children and not only will eating school lunch show your child how important eating a balanced lunch is, but it can also serve as a spring board for healthier eating behaviors at home. Choosing to eat fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy at home will help your child be more familiar with the healthy offerings they are seeing in the lunch line. If you would like to join your child for a school meal please contact your child's school or the Becky in the kitchen at (775) 635-3332.
If you would like more information on the changes to the National School Lunch Program or on how to help your children make healthier eating decisions, the following websites can be a great resource:
• http://www.traytalk.org/
• http://www.choosemyplate.gov/
• http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/
• http://www.letsmove.gov/eat-healthy
If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
Thank you!
Becky Rangel is the Food Services director. She can be reached at (775) 635-3332.
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