Seattle Schools already meeting many new USDA standards

In response to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act led by first lady Michelle Obama, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has released new school meal standards to help fight obesity in children. Seattle Schools say they are already meeting many of the standards set out by the USDA. The guidelines double the amount of fruits and vegetables in cafeterias, and promote more whole-grain foods.

Photo courtesy Seattle Public Schools

“Seattle has been very progressive with changing the way we offer meals, offering fruits and vegetables every day, as well as whole grain-rich foods,” said Wendy Weyer, Director of Nutrition Services for Seattle Public Schools. “There is a new requirement that we only offer fat-free or low-fat milk varieties, which we are already doing in Seattle.”

The new menus also set maximums for calories and cut sodium and trans fat, a contributor to high cholesterol levels. The standards will be phased in over a three-year period, starting in the 2012-13 school year. “During the first year of the three-year adoption, I do not see many changes for us. The biggest challenge in the longer-term targets will be looking at how to reduce sodium content, while keeping the meals palatable for our students,” Weyer said.

Here are the guidelines from the USDA’s Healthy Meals and Healthy Kids site:

• Ensuring students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week;
• Substantially increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods;
• Offering only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties;
• Limiting calories based on the age of children being served to ensure proper portion size; and
• Increasing the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat, trans fats and sodium.

The school district expects a cost increase with the new standards, as it mandates a fruit or vegetable on every tray, regardless of whether the student chooses it. Schools across the country will receive an extra 6 cents a meal for lunches from federal funding. Seattle Schools currently receive $2.79 for every lunch served to a student eligible for a free lunch, $2.39 for a reduced-price lunch, and 28 cents for a full-price lunch.

However, guidelines will still allow french fries and pizza. Back in November, lawmakers insisted that pizza counted as a vegetable because of its tomato paste. To take a look at current menus and nutrition standards for Seattle Public Schools, visit their Nutrition Services site.