Federal healthy children initiative means changes to what you’ll see at school

School lunch prices will increase to reflect changes

August 1, 2011 – Lunch in the Stillwater schools may look a little different next year as a result of new federal legislation that requires, among other things, that schools offer certain healthier foods.

Some of the many changes include increased portion sizes, higher protein content in meals, as well as more whole grains and green leafy vegetables, orange vegetables, and winter squashes. More fresh fruits and vegetables will be offered as well.

“It is always our objective to offer nutritionally sound meals that are compliant with state and federal guidelines,”
Food Service Director John MacDonald said. “The new legislation is just another step toward continuing to offer our
students healthy meals in the most cost effective way possible.”

The legislation, called the Healthy Hungry-Free Kids Act, which will go into effect for the 2012-13 school year, also
calls for a decrease in the amount of high-starch foods, such as potatoes, peas, and corn that are served in schools.

Although schools are not required to implement many of the regulations for another year, school prices will increase
this fall in order to accommodate some of the changes that are taking place. These include ensuring water is readily
available at no cost to students during meal times and offering milk that is lower in fat content. The law also requires
school districts to begin raising their prices so that they fall within specific guidelines.

At the June 21 Board of Education meeting, the BOE approved price increases for school breakfasts and lunches,
beginning this coming September. The new prices are:

• Elementary Breakfast $1.25
• Elementary Lunch $1.75
• MS/HS Breakfast $1.25
• MS/HS Lunch $2.00

The district is already compliant with some of the new regulations, such as using whole grain breads or breading
wherever possible. However, there are still some products, such as English muffins, where the district purchases white bread because it costs significantly less than the same product in the whole wheat variety. These transitions will continue to take place throughout the school year.

Finally, the new law will include nutritional audits for school districts every three years to ensure they are complying with the laws.