Kewanee Hospital

A Dietitian’s Take on the New National School Lunch Program

August 31, 2012

Submitted by Katie Keaschall, Registered Dietitian, Kewanee Hospital

The start of the school year has sparked some conversation, and in some cases controversy, regarding the new regulations on the National School Lunch Program.  While we are hearing a variety of feedback – both positive and negative - from students and parents, it is important to clarify what the program actually entails.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the regulatory body that standardizes the school lunch program for our country.  Over the past 15 years, there have not been any major changes to this federal program.  With the rise of childhood obesity, as well as the other extreme of childhood hunger, the need was determined for some sort of change to address this national epidemic. The goal of the improved nutritional standards is to help address these two issues and provide healthier meals for all children attending school.

This summarized list of modifications to the National School Lunch Program includes the following:

• One cup of fruit daily (previously ½ cup daily)
• One cup of vegetables daily (previously ¾ cup daily)
  • Additionally, there is a weekly requirement for dark green, red/orange, bean/peas, starchy and other vegetables to provide more variety of nutrients and flavor.
• At least half of all grains offered must be whole grain rich
• Fat free (skim) or low fat (1%) milk is available; however, it can be flavored or unflavored
• Trans fats must be zero grams per serving for any item offered
• The amount of sodium must be reduced for all items served (gradually, a specific  amount will be reduced each year over the next few years)
• Limit on saturated fat to less than 10% of total calories in all meals served
• Minimum amount of calories that can be served for each meal, as well as a maximum amount of calories that can be served at each meal.  Grade schools have the appropriate range of calories for grade school children; junior high and high school students also have the appropriate range of calories.

As long as these guidelines are followed, the menus that are provided at each of our nation’s schools will vary in regards to budget, food availability, the capacity for specific foods to be prepared, etc.  Ultimately, this means menus will differ from school to school.  For more detailed, credible information on the National School Lunch Program, please visit www.fns.usda.gov.

“In my professional opinion as a registered dietitian, I understand some hesitation regarding this change,” stated Katie Keaschall, RD, LDN at Kewanee Hospital.  “Most of us want our youth to eat healthy and are happy to hear the nutritional standards have been improved.  At the same time, some would also agree that children should like the foods offered because some nourishment is better than none.”

This poses an excellent question -- What does “eating healthy” really mean for kids and how can you ensure they are eating healthy?  A shortened textbook answer for a child eating healthy would be “meeting their individual nutrient requirements,” as everyone’s body has different needs which depend on many factors. While it is natural for parents to worry that their child(ren) are not consuming the appropriate nutrition, rest assured knowing that most kids attending schools are able to meet their nutritional needs in their own way, especially if balanced “hot meals” are provided by the school and/or balanced “cold meals” are provided by a parent.

The following lists some common themes about kid’s eating behaviors regardless if they are at home or at school:

• Children can be skeptical about trying new foods. They will learn to like new foods by having them served repeatedly, by seeing others try new foods, and by tasting them on their own many times.  A child should not be forced to eat - let them discover their own body’s eating pattern.
• Kids want to feel in control of their eating decisions. They eat better when they can pick and choose from what is available and decide how much they are going to eat from it.  This is why most meals, most days, should be nutritionally valuable. Children try more and feel less pressure to eat certain foods when they are not forced.
• Children can be erratic when it comes to their eating behaviors. Some days they eat a lot, some days they eat less, some days they like certain foods, other days they don’t.  It can be hard and expensive for adults to keep up with this - but know that a child’s internal sense of hunger, appetite, and fullness is stronger than an adult’s. Most kids know how to stop when full. Constant force on a child to finish their plate can ruin this internal cue.
• There is a division of responsibility between adults and kids when it comes to mealtimes. Adults, or the school nutrition staff during the school day, have the job of providing wholesome, attractive, balanced meals and can encourage positive approaches to feeding. The child has the responsibility of deciding what to eat from the foods offered and how much to eat. This is the evidence-based way to establish a healthy relationship between kids and food. When kids are pressured or forced to eat, it can lead to unhealthy problems later in life.

The USDA and schools across the nation are doing their best to follow the new guidelines and to do their jobs of providing the appropriate nutrition for kids.  Ultimately, children will consume what they wish of the foods they are offered, whether this be at home or at school.  As adults, we can help them establish a healthy relationship with food.