Transcript National School Lunch Program

National School
Lunch Program
Sabrina Collins
What is the NSLP?
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The National School Lunch Program is a
federally assisted meal program administering
nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free
lunches to an estimated 31 million children
each day.
The NSLP exists in over 100,000 public and
non-profit schools and child care institutions.
The Food and Nutrition Service administrators
the NSLP at a Federal level, at the state level
the NSLP is administered by the State
education agencies.
Goal of the NSLP
 The
goal of the National School Lunch
Program is to fight hunger and obesity by
reimbursing schools, childcare centers
and after-school programs for providing
healthy meals to children.
Requirements of the NSLP
 The
National School Lunch Program’s
meal pattern and guidelines were
updated in 2010 due to the Healthy,
Hunger-Free Kids Act.
 The guidelines are now expected to
follow the nutrition standards based on
the latest Dietary Guidelines for
Americans.
Requirements of the NSLP
Cont.
 The
new requirements for the NSLP
included and increase of fruits,
vegetables, and whole grains found in the
school lunch menu.
 They also specified specific calorie limits
to ensure age-appropriate meals. They
were divided in to K-5, 6-8, and 9-12.
 Reduction of sodium limit was also
reduced.
Requirements of the NSLP
Cont.
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The program now requires minimum and
maximum calories for both breakfast and
lunch.
For grades K-5 the calorie range for breakfast
is 350-500, and for lunch it is 550-650.
For grades 6-8 the calorie range for breakfast
is 400-500, and for lunch it is 600-700.
For grades 9-12 the calorie range for
breakfast is 450-600, and for lunch it is 750-850.
Requirements of the NSLP
Cont.
 The
meal plan is broken down in to lean
meats, fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
and milk.
 There are minimum and maximum
requirements on the serving size of each
category in order to provide a well
balanced meal for the children.
Meat/Meat Alternatives
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Daily and weekly requirements for lunch;
- 2 oz. daily for students in grades 9-12
- 1 oz. daily for students in grades K-8
The NSLP now encourages meat alternatives
such a tofu and soy yogurt
- 2.2 oz of tofu, containing at
least 5g
protein = 1.0 oz equivalent meat alternate
- 1⁄2 cup of soy yogurt = 1.0 oz equivalent
meat alternate
Fruits
 Fruit
is required to be either fresh, frozen
without any added sugar, canned in a
juice or light syrup, or dried.
 No more than half of the fruit servings
offered may be in the form of juice- which
must be 100% full-strength.
Whole Grains
 Whole
grain-rich foods may be included
as long as they contain at least 51% whole
grains.
 Whole grains are also required to meet at
least one of the following: whole grains
per serving must be grater or equal to 8
grams, the product includes FDA’s whole
grain health claim on the packaging, or
the product ingredient listing lists whole
grain first.
Vegetables
 Vegetables
are required to be either
fresh, frozen, or canned.
 Leafy greens are given credit as half of
volume as served.
 Vegetables are split up into five different
subgroups which are: dark green,
red/orange, beans/peas, starchy, and
other. Each of these have a specific
requirement of weekly servings.
Milk
 Milk
must be either:
- fat-free (unflavored or flavored)
- low-fat (unflavored only)
- fat-free or low-fat (lactose reduced or
lactose free)
 It also must be offered in at least two
different choices
Benefits of the NSLP
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The National School Lunch Program provides
a healthy, nutritious meal that contains onethird of the recommended dietary allowance
of necessary nutrients.
Provides a nutritionally balanced meal at the
lowest possible price.
Enhances children’s mental and physical wellbeing.
Students are proven to have fewer
attendance and discipline problems when
nutritional needs are met.
What is a reimbursable lunch?
A
reimbursable lunch has requirements
regarding nutrient content and portion
sizes. A complete meal meeting
requirements allows a school to receive
benefits and is referred to as a
reimbursable lunch.
 The goal of this program is to give children
a understanding of their relationship
between proper eating habits and good
health.
Reimbursable Lunch Cont.
 The
USDA provides schools in the NSLP
reimbursement in the form of cash for
each meal served.
 Currently the basic cash reimbursement
rates if school food authorities served less
than 60% free and reduced price lunches
during the second proceeding school
year are…
Reimbursable Lunch Cont.
 Free
lunches: $2.86
 Reduced-price lunches: $2.46
 Paid lunches: $0.27
 Free snacks: $0.78
 Reduced-price snacks: $0.39
 Paid snacks: $0.07
How to Qualify for
Reimbursement
 Any
child at a participating school may
purchase a meal through the National
School Lunch Program.
 Depending on the family’s income, they
will determine the percentage covered of
the school meal.
How to Qualify for
Reimbursement
 Families
with incomes at or below 130%
poverty level are eligible for free meals.
 Families with incomes between 130% to
185% of poverty level are eligible for
reduced- price meals.
 Families with incomes over 185% of
poverty level pay full price, however the
meals are subsidized.
Children the NSLP has Served
 More
than 31.8 million children each day
got their lunch provided by the school
lunch program, and since the program
began the NSPL has served more than 224
billion lunches.
Sample 1 week Menu
 The
following menu is a sample of what 1
week would look like from students in
grades 6-8.
 It is clear that they are provided with
meals that have substantial nutritional
value, with all of the requirements being
met.
Example of 1 week Menu
Impacting Learning and Test
Scores
 Studies
have shown that proper nutrition
has a direct impact on student
performance and behavior in schools.
 Nutrition has a direct effect on
neurotransmitters important in sending
messages from the body to the brain.
When they body is being fueled with the
correct amount of nutritional needs, it
provides them with the ability to perform
at a higher level.
Impacting Learning and Test
Scores
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In order for children to improve test scores,
they need to be provided with clean, high
quality fuel.
For growing children this means a balanced
diet of whole foods, grown in a nutritionenhancing way without toxic pesticides, and
prepared in a manner that also preserves
nutrients.
A child’s diet affects affects the physical
structure of his or her brain, as well as
memory, attention, and reasoning skills.
Impacting Learning and Test
Scores
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Optimal cognitive function requires essential
vitamins, minerals, fats, and proteins.
Vitamin deficiency has been linked to shortened
attention span, irritability, fatigue, and difficulty
concentrating.
Children who are “food-insufficient” have
significantly lower test scores and are more likely
to repeat a grade, have behavioral issues, and be
suspended from school.
Undernourished students
are more susceptible to infection and more likely
to miss school.
References
 Erickson,
J. (2006). Brain Food: the real dish
on nutrition and brain function. WisKids
Journal, November/December.
 Geier, A., Foster G., McLaughlin, J.,
Borrandaile, K., Nachmani, J., … Schultz, J.
(2007). The relationship between relative
weight and school attendance among
elementary school children. Obesity, 15,
2157-2161.