About Olentangy Food Services
National School Lunch Program
We participate in the National School Lunch Program at all grade levels.
The School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI) was introduced by the USDA in 1995 to improve the nutritional quality of meals served under the National School Lunch Program.
Minimum standards for the National School Lunch Program include:
- Provide 1/3 of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C.
- Provide 1/3 of the calories needed by growing children based on the appropriate age/grade group.
- Limit calories from total fat to no more than 30% of total calories.
- Limit calories from unsaturated fat to no more than 10% of total calories.
- Schools are also encouraged to reduce the level of cholesterol, moderate the use of salt and sodium, and increase fiber in the meals.
| Nutrient | Standard | Grades K-5 | Grades 6-12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy Allowance | 1/3 of daily requirement | 664 calories | 825 calories |
| Protein (grams) | 1/3 of RDA | 10 gm | 16 gm |
| Calcium (milligrams) | 1/3 of RDA | 286 mg | 400 mg |
| Iron (milligrams) | 1/3 of RDA | 3.5 mg | 4.5 mg |
| Vitamin A (retinol equivalents) |
1/3 of RDA | 224 RE | 300 RE |
| Vitamin C (milligrams) | 1/3 of RDA | 15 mg | 18 mg |
| Total Fat | No more than 30% of total calories should come from fat | ||
| Saturated Fat | No more than 10% of total calories should come from saturated fat. | ||
One of our department's primary goals has been to increase participation in the lunch program by increasing options and offering foods that students are likely to purchase. In September 2001, we introduced the "Value Meal" at the middle schools and high schools to package the traditional Type A lunch as a bargain as well as good for you. We have been successful in increasing lunches served as a percentage of total enrollment over the past three years.
It is noteworthy that almost 50% of our middle school students, and close to 30% of our high school students participated in the lunch program last year. Many other school districts have abandoned the school lunch program at the high school and even the middle school level for "more profitable" a la carte programs which allow them to sell foods that cannot be sold in conjunction with the lunch program, such as soda pop, a larger variety of candies, etc.
| National School Lunch Program Participation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| School Year | Elementary Schools | Middle Schools | High Schools |
| 2001-2002 | 56.5% | 34.6% | 18.5% |
| 2002-2003 | 58.2% | 39.7% | 20.9% |
| 2003-2004 | 59.4% | 46.9% | 28.7% |
| Participation is stated as a percent of enrolled students. | |||
In January 2005, we plan to introduce the Snackwise Nutrition Rating System developed by The Borden Center for Nutrition and Wellness at Children's Hospital. This program rates the overall nutritional quality of snack food and assigns it a rating of "best choice," "choose occasionally," or "choose rarely" to encourage students to choose snack foods that boost energy and provide nutrients their growing bodies need.