FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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Shannon Underwood
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1 July 2011 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS As a foodservice director, you are the voice for nutrition and meal planning in your school. In recognition of this role, we have compiled some questions that you may be asked, along with suggested responses. This will assist you in preparing for media interviews, speaking opportunities, or everyday dialogue you might have with concerned parents and school representatives. This document is available at for further customization. USDA Guidelines 1) Have the requirements changed regarding what you are supposed to provide to students? a. On January 13, 2011, the USDA proposed new school meal rules that will significantly impact both the National School Breakfast and the National School Lunch Programs. These proposed rules rely on a food-based weekly menu planning approach that is intended to reflect the recommendations outlined in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). The new rules would not require schools to analyze meals for their vitamin and mineral content, but would instead require schools to comply with the meals standards by: i. Managing calories by age/grade groups ii. Reducing calories from saturated fat iii. Reducing sodium content over time iv. Creating menus that meet the recommendations for more fruits, vegetables and whole grains 2) How many children are served through the National School Lunch Program? a. In Fiscal 2009, more than 31 million children received their lunch every day through this program. 3) How much do you (currently) get reimbursed from the government for school lunches (on average)? (Current numbers are reflected below, but this will change when the new rules are announced.) a. Free lunches: $2.72 b. Reduced price lunches: $2.32 c. Paid lunches: $0.26 4) When must these new standards be implemented, and when will the funding be effective? a. The timing for policy changes, including funding increases, is still under debate. The USDA announced in January of this year its proposed rule document for the school meal requirements, and the comment period closed in April. The comment period allowed any interested organizations (schools, food manufacturers, public health groups, etc.) or individuals to share their thoughts and concerns. A date or period of implementation will be announced next year, which will help schools and manufacturers bring our products and programs into compliance. We anticipate that the implementation of the rules will be staggered over time Normandale Blvd., Bloomington, MN livesmartschools.org SFP Letterhead.indd 6

2 5) How dramatic are these changes? a. As drafted, they are quite dramatic, particularly in the long-term implementation. Schools and their food supplier partners have been proactively moving forward to anticipate the new rules looking for solutions that provide less sodium, eliminate trans fats, increase the number of foods made with whole grains, and incorporate more fruits and vegetables. i. Here at (school name), we ve already (fill in specific examples) ii. Here at (school name), we will be (state changes that will happen in ) iii. Manufacturers have been proactive, as well. For example: 1. (List various products from your lunch line) 2. Schwan s Food Service LiveSmart Schools product line offers more than 50 SKUs that meet the HealthierUs School Challenge guidelines a. Big Daddy s 51 Percent Whole Grain Pizza b. Big Daddy s 51 Percent Whole Grain Flatbread Sandwiches c. Tony s 51 Percent Whole Grain Ultimate Flatbread d. Tony s 51 Percent Whole Grain French Bread Pizza e. Minh Stir Fry Kits f. Minh Whole Grain Fried Rice 6) Are these requirements stringent enough? a. Actually, these proposed rules are very stringent and will require schools and food manufacturers to evaluate every aspect of their menu planning. We ve made some meaningful advances with our program already. Let me share with you a weekly lunch menu so you have a perspective on what our students have to select from in the lunch line. (Review nutritional values from some of your lunches) b. We plan our menus and nutritionals over a week of balanced meals. (And we always have salads, fruit and vegetables available.) c. There are many misconceptions about what we serve for lunch. Parents may not know, for example, that school pizza is created specifically for schools, meeting and even exceeding established nutritional requirements. i. A slice of Schwan s Food Service LiveSmart Schools school pizza offers students calcium, protein, less than 35 percent of calories from fat, no more than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat, less than 600 milligrams of sodium, 51 percent whole grains all for under 400 calories. ii. Schwan s Food Service tests its products with students to ensure that they re balancing nutrition with foods that taste great to kids. 7) There are several concerns about the proposed rules expressed how does your school feel about them? a. We are very committed to providing our students with the best nutrition and taste in products that they ll love. b. We want both great taste and great nutrition so that our student participation is strong. c. We have reviewed the proposed rules and support its efforts to improve childhood nutrition. SFP Letterhead.indd 7

3 8) How can we help parents understand the difference between the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 and the related new nutrition standards for meals, and the revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans? a. The Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act is a federal mandate that requires congressional approval and funding (i.e. reauthorization) of a variety of programs that receive federally mandated funding. These programs include the WIC (Women, Infant and Child nutritional supplement) Program, Child and Adult Care Food Program and other Child Nutrition Provision Programs. The National School Breakfast Program and the National School Lunch Program are permanently authorized, however, some elements that impact the school meal personnel are reauthorized every five years. b. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is the bill signed by the President in December, The new law is now in the process of moving to the implementation phase. Steps have been taken by the USDA to issue proposed regulations and guidance on the law s many provisions. The proposed school meal rule is an example of one such action taken by the USDA. The proposal allowed a comment period for stakeholder input prior to the USDA s final issuance of any rulings. The final meal pattern requirements are expected to be released in This act also would implement legislation providing schools an additional 6-cents in meal reimbursement. c. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) is issued every 5 years. This document provides guidance on tips and actions to achieve a healthy eating plan. The Dietary Guidelines reflect the most current scientific thinking behind strategies to stay healthy. The proposed school meal recommendations reflect the Dietary Guidelines as well as the Institute of Medicine s recommendations on actions to raise the quality of school meals. These actions recommend schools serve increased portions of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, while limiting sodium, saturated fat and calories in the meals. Menu Planning 1) Who sets the menus for your schools how far do you plan ahead? (Possible responses) a. We often use seasonal or cycle menus as a basis for our meal planning. b. We have a student advisory board that works with us to set our menus. c. We work seasonally to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables. 2) How will you meet the new requirements for fruits and vegetables, and more lean protein? a. We ll be looking for good working solutions. i. (Provide examples from your school menus) 3) Help us understand the new MyPlate are you involved in helping to educate students on how to use this new graphic to make smart personal choices? a. (Provide an example you re implementing at your school) 4) Being the new rules aren t yet in place what are the key nutritional considerations you use when planning your meals? a. Calories b. Fat c. Protein d. Whole grains and fiber e. Calcium f. Allergy considerations g. Student preferences and taste choices, which may vary by age or region of the country h. Other food ingredients SFP Letterhead.indd 8

4 5) What are students telling you they want on the menus what are they choosing? a. It s important to remember that the foods offered in our lunch lines are delicious, but they are different from those found in other areas of our students lives because they meet the federal nutrition standards. Our partners (like Schwan s Food Service) are dedicated to making sure that favorite foods such as pizza taste great while also providing students the nutrition that they need to perform to their best abilities. b. (Provide specific examples) 6) What food trends are you seeing in your school? a. Students want more spices, stronger flavors a result of the abundance of ethnic food options available across the country. b. Students are interested in eating healthy. Sometimes they still choose to mix new favorites with known favorites. Some new options include: i. Minh Whole Grain Egg Rolls, Stir Fry Kits, and Whole Grain Fried Rice ii. Pizzas made with 51 percent whole grains, including Tony s and Big Daddy s products iii. Big Daddy s new 51 Percent Whole Grain Flatbread Sandwiches c. We know pizza is a favorite food all pizza is not created equal we have great options for our students that provide a nutritious meal when served with low fat milk and fruit. i. Schwan s Food Service s new LiveSmart Schools products all meet the more stringent standards published by the USDA and the HealthierUS School Challenge School lunch ) Are you changing your menus to reflect the proposed USDA rules? a. (Provide examples of changes you ve made in line with the rules) 2) Will our children be eating healthier meals this year than they did last year at school? a. Yes just as the meals they ate last year were healthier than those from the year before. b. While the proposed changes have not been mandated, our school has been working towards providing healthier foods for our students. i. (Provide specific examples) 3) Processed and frozen foods are often criticized. Are you attempting to reduce the amount that you serve? a. It s our goal to have the best possible foods for children to eat which do include a variety of packaged and frozen foods. b. We will always use a certain amount of packaged and frozen foods some of the benefits include: i. Consistency of quality, as guaranteed by the CN label designation ii. Ease of preparation iii. Food safety iv. Cost efficiency 4) Are more of your students bringing lunch to school? a. We haven t seen any dramatic shift. SFP Letterhead.indd 9

5 b. It s our goal to help inform parents of the nutritional content of our menus there are many misconceptions. 1. The foods we offer, which are made for schools, are nutritious. a. pizza b. egg rolls c. stir fry kits 2. We offer fresh fruits throughout the week. 3. We offer fresh or frozen vegetables throughout the week. 4. We buy local when feasible. 5. How are you communicating these changes to parents/students? (Reflect your school s activities) a. Our website b. Letters to parents c. Take-home brochures 6) What nutritional values are your à la carte items required to have? a. At the present time these items aren t regulated, however, we anticipate that they will be. Currently, we attempt to provide some smart choices for students so that they can add variety but also maintain well-balanced nutrition. i. Some examples: 1. Minh Whole Grain Egg Rolls 2. Coyote Grill Whole Grain Quesadillas 3. Tony s Whole Grain Breadsticks 4. Big Daddy s Whole Grain Rising Crust Pizzas 5. More? b. (If your school has wellness programs in place, please be sure to reference them) 7) What flavored milks do you offer? Have you consider eliminating them? a. (Your school s policy) 8) What kind of vending machines do you have for students? a. (Your school s response) 9) How many students attend your school? a. (Your school s response) 10) How many of your students participate in the school meal program? a. For breakfast (your school s response) b. For lunch (your school s response) Some information sourced from USDA SFP Letterhead.indd 10

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS PO Box 4170, MIDDLETOWN, NJ (732) FAX (732)

MIDDLETOWN TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS PO Box 470, MIDDLETOWN, NJ 07748 (732) 67-3850 FAX (732) 29-035 www.middletownk2.org Dear Middletown Township School District Parent: The USDA has recently issued new