School Meals Building Blocks for Healthy Children (2010) / Chapter Skim
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7 Recommendations for Nutrient Targets and Meal Requirements for School Meals
7 Recommendations for Nutrient Targets and Meal Requirements for School Meals
Pages 115-130
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From page 115... ...
As a part of the Meal Requirements, the recommended standards for menu planning use a food-based approach that includes quantitative control of calories, saturated fat, and sodium. That is, a single set of standards is recommended for menu planning, which encompasses both food-based and nutrient-based elements.
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From page 116... ...
Although a Nutrient Target was not set for vitamin D or trans fat, the standards for menu planning cover these dietary components (see later section "Recommended Meal Requirements for School Meals")
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From page 117... ...
. That is, the recommended Nutrient Targets are essentially the same as the preliminary nutrient targets that are discussed in Chapter 4.
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From page 118... ...
Appendix O presents the data for calories and the nutrients that are common to both the standards and the targets, and it lists the additional nutrients contained in the recommended targets. Notably, compared to the current Nutrition Standards, the recommended Nutrient Targets are higher for protein and the vitamins and minerals, the recommended minimum calorie levels are lower, and maximum calorie levels have been set for the first time.
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From page 119... ...
c 33.5 7.2 8.0 10.7 10.7 .0 NOTES: AIs are presented in italics. AI = Adequate Intake; αT = α-tocopherol; d = day; DFE = dietary folate equivalent; g = gram; kg = kilogram; mg = milligram; RAE = retinol activity equivalents; RDA = Recommended Dietary Allowance; SM-TMI = School Meal-Target Median Intake; µg = microgram; y = years.
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From page 120... ...
Importantly, however, to be consistent with Dietary Guidelines, the recommended standards for menu planning are primarily derived from the MyPyramid food patterns, rather than from the Nutrient Targets. As noted in Chapters 4 and 5, the nutrient values of the MyPyramid food patterns are almost always higher than the School Meal-Target Median Intake values that were the basis of the Nutrient Targets for school meals.
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From page 121... ...
Recommendation 2. To align school meals with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and improve the healthfulness of school meals, the Food and Nutrition Service should adopt standards for menu planning that increase the amounts of fruits, vegetables and whole grains; increase the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat and sodium provided; and set a minimum and maximum level of calories -- as presented in Table 7-3.
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From page 122... ...
hTo ensure that action is taken to reduce the sodium content of school meals over the 10-year period in a manner that maintains student participation rates, the committee suggests the setting of intermediate targets for each 2-year interval. (See the section "Achieving Long-Term Goals" in Chapter 10.)
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From page 123... ...
Computerized nutrient analysis is not essential, however, as long as operators use an accepted method to control the calorie, saturated fat, and sodium content of school meals. Food-based Meal Patterns Dietary Guidelines for Americans (HHS/USDA, 2005)
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From page 124... ...
approved whole grain health claim on its packaging. "Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods, and low in saturated fat and cholesterol may help reduce the risk of heart disease." c.
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From page 125... ...
• If purchased commercially, the nutrition labeling or manufacturer's specification will indicate that the product contains 0 g of trans fat per serving. Guidance for reducing sodium in school meals may be obtained from several resources, including http://teamnutrition.usda.gov/Resources/DGfact sheet_sodium.pdf and the SMI Road to Success booklet (USDA/FNS, 2007b)
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From page 126... ...
For example, the same general meal pattern could be used for students from kindergarten through grade 8. In those instances where the grade configuration differs, as in schools that serve elementary through high school students on the same line, the committee suggests that the school food authority work with the state agency to find a solution that ensures that the basic elements of the standards for menu planning will be maintained: inclusion of the specified food groups and food subgroups, moderate calorie values, and an emphasis on reducing saturated fat and sodium.
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From page 127... ...
Compared with the recommended standards for menu planning, a somewhat less specific set of standards (one without the quantitative component) could help move school meal programs in the direction of meeting the recommended Nutrient Targets and the Dietary Guidelines, but only partway.
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From page 128... ...
decline no more than one item at breakfast. Because the number of items has been increased in the recommended standards for menu planning, however, allowing students to decline two items could be a reasonable approach for breakfast.
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From page 129... ...
For this reason, although options 1 and 2 both list a specific food requirement, the requirement allows choice among two or more foods. If an option required a vegetable, a vegetable would be selected but might not be eaten.
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From page 130... ...
The Nutrient Targets differ from the existing Nutrition Standards in that they include a maximum as well as a minimum level of calories; encompass 16 additional nutrients; are higher for the 8 nutrients that are common to both; and, for most nutrients, are based on a Target Median Intake rather than the Recommended Dietary Allowances. Under the Meal Requirements, the recommended standards for menu planning provide a food-based approach that encompasses five major food groups and seven food subgroups; it also provides specifications for calories, saturated fat, and sodium; a method to minimize trans fat content, and a temporary criterion to identify whole grain-rich foods.
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