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School Meals Building Blocks for Healthy Children (2010) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix C: Critical Issues for Consideration by the Committee on Nutrition Standards for National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, as Submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Pages 237-244

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From page 237...
... We also ask the committee to consider such operational factors as market conditions, impacts on student acceptability of meals, and the decision to participate in the program, in making recommendations in each of these areas.1 Calorie requirements: Since the establishment of the school meal programs, the dietary concerns for children have shifted from preventing hunger and nutritional deficiencies to recognizing the increase of childhood overweight/obesity rates while enhancing cognitive performance and academic achievement. FNS requests that the committee provide recommendations for calorie levels in consideration of the best scientific information available (including the DRIs)
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From page 238...
... FNS requests that the committee consider the potential impacts that age-grade group requirements may have on the unique aspects of NSLP and SBP meal service, operations, and participation. Nutrient standards: FNS requests that in addition to the current required nutrients, the IOM committee consider the DGA recommendations to minimize trans fats, as well as the intake recommendations for sodium, cholesterol, and fiber, which currently do not have quantitative standards in the school meal programs.
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From page 239...
... FNS is concerned that the challenge of reducing sodium levels in school meals extends beyond the efforts of Program operators and administrators alone. At present, sodium is a common addition to processed foods and convenience items which are commonly used in school meal programs to save time and reduce labor costs.
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From page 240...
... The USDA requests that the committee consider student acceptability, Program participation, and market conditions when making recommendations for sodium levels in school meals. Additionally, the Department requests that the committee consider a recommendation that would allow for a progressive or gradual reduction of sodium levels in school meals, such as interim targets, to ultimately meet a standard based on the DGA recommendation over a realistic period of time without adversely affecting program participation.
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From page 241...
... In the SBP, meal patterns and menu structures have been designed to provide schools with flexibility to provide meals that reflect a typical breakfast meal and avoid unnecessary burden on school foodservice operations. FNS requests that the committee consider such differences between NSLP and SBP meal service operations when making recommendations to increase the food groups encouraged by the 2005 DGAs in the FBMP breakfast meal pattern and the NSMP menu structure.
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From page 242...
... When considering this, the IOM expert committee should also address concerns that offering different quantity for the various age-grade groups in the NSLP and SBP may be operationally difficult to implement at the local school level due to procurement logistics and economies of scale. Meat/Meat Alternate: The current meat/meat alternate requirements in the NSLP meal patterns exceed the recommended quantities in the USDA Food Guide, the food pattern that illustrates the recommendations of the DGAs.
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From page 243...
... Changes to the meal patterns and nutrition standards must be feasible for school foodservice operators, and should not jeopardize student and school participation in the meal programs. To ensure that the combined set of recommendations are attainable, the Department requests IOM to include in the report separately for NSLP and SBP a set of four-week cycle menus for each of the recommended age groups that meet all recommendations, are relatively cost neutral and would not likely have an adverse effect on program participation.
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Key Terms

  • menu planning
  • fns requests
  • regulations require
  • planning approaches
  • fluid milk

  • committee consider
  • food labels
  • product specifications
  • program operators
  • meal patterns

  • meal programs
  • sodium levels
  • school meal
  • school foodservice
  • program participation

  • planning approach
  • trans fats
  • meal service
  • school children
  • school nutrition

  • local school
  • nutrition dietary
  • administrators rely
  • students select
  • standard menu

  • offer versus
  • breakfast meal
  • provide meals
  • program regulations
  • service operations


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