School Breakfast Meal Pattern Requirements

School Breakfast Meal Pattern Requirements Orientation to the Massachusetts National School Lunch Program Operations Presented by: Linda Fischer, RD, LDN Framingham, MA August 13, 2014

Agenda Breakfast Meal Pattern Requirements for School Year 2014-2015 Food Component vs. Food Item Offer vs. Serve and Serve Only Breakfasts Activity Recognizing Reimbursable Breakfast Meals 2

USDA - Nutrition Standards for School Meals Website www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/ Includes Up to Date: Regulation Information Technical Assistance and Guidance Materials 3

Breakfast Meal Pattern Requirements 4

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Breakfast Meal Pattern General Requirements: Requirements Schools must implement the age-grade groups (K-5, 6-8 and 9-12) Schools must plan breakfast meals that meet dietary specifications for calories, saturated fat and sodium Foods offered must contain zero grams of trans fat per portion 6

Food Component Food Component: vs. Food Item One of the three food groups that comprise a reimbursable breakfast. The food groups are: Milk Fruit (vegetable may be substituted for fruit) Grains (with optional meat/meat alternate allowed) 7

Breakfast Meal Pattern Food Item: Requirements A specific food offered within the three food components. For the purposes of Offer vs. Serve, a school must offer at least four food items and students must select as least three food items 8

Fluid Milk Component (for Lunch and Breakfast) 1 cup (8 fluid ounces) for all age/grade groups Must offer daily variety (at least 2) of the following: Fat-free unflavored Fat-free flavored Low-fat (1% or less) unflavored Low-fat or fat-free lactose-reduced/lactose-free Whole, 2%, and low-fat flavored milk not allowable 9

Breakfast Food Components Fruit: (Fruit) Schools must offer at least 1 cup of fruits and/or vegetables to all age-grade groups For the purposes of menu planning, a ½ cup of fruit counts as 1 food item 10

Breakfast Food Components (Fruit) Vegetables and fruits may be offered interchangeably. There are no substitution requirements and no vegetable subgroup requirements If a school chooses to offer vegetables in place of fruit, at least 2 cups of the red/orange, dark green, legumes, or other vegetable subgroups must be offered first over the course of the week 11

Breakfast Food Components Q. Would I be allowed to offer a hash brown (starchy vegetable) on one day of the week even if I didn t offer any other vegetables over the week? A. Yes, if a school meets the fruit requirement in the meal pattern, it may offer starchy vegetables as an extra (not as a substitute for fruit) if this fits within the weekly dietary specifications 12

Breakfast Food Components Things to Consider: Vegetables offered as extras are not covered by the SBP requirement to offer non-starch vegetables first when substituting vegetables for fruit Vegetables that are offered as extras would not count for purposes of OVS For example: If a student chooses hash browns as an extra item they would still need to have three breakfast items on the tray, including at least ½ cup of fruit, to have a reimbursable meal 13

Fruits Component (for Lunch and Breakfast) Canned/dried fruit and 100% juice are allowed in addition to fresh fruit Frozen fruits with added sugar are also allowed but should be used in moderation to keep the average school meal within the weekly calorie ranges The original restriction to serve frozen fruit with added sugar was removed permanently by an implementing regulation (79 FR 327) issued January 3, 2014 14

Fruits Component (for Lunch and Breakfast) Limit on fruit juice applies to the total fruit offering per week Regulation: No more than half of the weekly fruit offering may be in the form of 100% juice 15

Example: Fruit Juice Requirement (based on 5 day school week) School offers: = ½ cup Weekly Offering (½ cup x 5 days) = 2 ½ cups = ½ cup (½ cup x 5 days) = 2 ½ cups = 1 cup of total fruit daily Education 16 = 5 cups total fruit over the week

Example: Fruit Juice Requirement Rule: No more than half (½) of the weekly fruit offering may be in the form of juice The school offered over the week ½ cup x 5 days = 2 ½ cups ½ cup x 5 days = 2 ½ cups 5 cups/2 = 2 ½ cups Did the school meet the requirement? YES! Education 17

Fruit Smoothies (for Lunch and Breakfast) USDA Policy Memo SP 10-2014 Smoothies Offered in Child Nutrition Programs Smoothies Prepared by Local Operators: Milk may be credited toward the fluid milk requirement (for breakfast and lunch) Fruit may be credited the fruit requirement (for breakfast and lunch) 18

Fruit Smoothies (for Lunch and Breakfast) Yogurt may be credited as a meat alternate (for BREAKFAST ONLY) Vegetables, grains, and meat/meat alternates (except yogurt during breakfast service) cannot be credited when served in a smoothie 19

Breakfast Food Components For all grade groups, schools must offer at least 1 ounce equivalent (oz eq.) of grains each day Minimum weekly requirements must also be met for age-grade groups: 7 oz eq. for grades K-5 (Grains) 8 oz eq. for grades 6-8 9 oz eq. for grades 9-12 20

Breakfast Food Components Optional Meat/Meat Alternate: There is no separate requirement to offer meat/meat alternates in the SBP meal pattern School may offer a meat/meat alternate in place of part of the grains component after the minimum daily grains requirement is offered in the menu or planned breakfast. A serving 1 oz eq. of meat/meat alternate may credit as 1 oz eq. of grains Alternately, a school may offer a meat/meat alternate as an additional food and not credit it toward any component 21

Grains Component Maximum weekly requirements for grains and meat/meat alternates permanently waived by USDA on January 3, 2014 Beginning SY 2014-2015, all grains offered must be whole grain-rich For example: If a menu planner determines that 10 oz eq. of grain (and no meat/meat alternates) will be offered over the week, then all 10 oz eq. must be whole grain-rich 22

Grains Component Q. What if Meat/Meat Alternates are Offered as Grains? A. If a menu planner offers 6 oz eq grains and 3 oz eq meats/meat alternates to meet the weekly minimum requirement of 9 oz eq grains in grades 9-12, only the 6 oz eq of grains must be whole grainrich 23

Determining What Foods Meet the Whole Grain-Rich Criteria 1) Foods that contain 100 percent whole grain, however, USDA does not require food products be 100 percent whole grain 2) SFAs may use the 50 percent guideline 24

The 50 Percent Guideline The 50 percent guideline for whole grain-rich requires that the grain content of a product contain 50-percent or more whole grains by weight, and the remaining grains, if any, be enriched 25

The 50 Percent Guideline For example: A school has a recipe for homemade muffins containing a total of 6 cups of flour 3 cups of whole wheat flour 3 cups of enriched white flour This would meet the 50 percent whole grain-rich requirement because 50% of the product is made with whole wheat flour and 50% of the product is made with enriched white flour 26

Grain Requirements School must evaluate a grain product using the following two-elements set forth in the final rule Element #1: A serving of the food item must meet portion size requirements for the grains/breads component as defined in Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) guidance. Exhibit A (grain chart): School Lunch and Breakfast 27

Grain Requirements Element #2: Food must meet at lease one of the following: 1. The whole grains per serving (based on minimum serving sizes specified for grains/breads in FNS guidance) must be 8 grams This may be determined from information provided on the product packaging or by the manufacturer, if available. 28

Grain Requirements 2. The product includes the following FDAapproved whole grain health claim on the packaging. Diets rich in whole grain foods and other plant foods and low in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease and some cancers. 29

Grain Requirements 3. Whole grain is listed first in the product ingredient declaration Non-mixed dishes (e.g., breads, cereals): Whole grains must be the primary ingredient by weight (a whole grain is the first ingredient listed in the label declaration) Mixed dishes (e.g., pizza, corn dogs): Whole grains must be the primary grain ingredient by weight (a whole grain is the first grain ingredient listed in the label declaration) 30 Let s look at some examples

What Foods Meet the Whole Grain-Rich Criteria? If the whole grain is listed as the first ingredient on the label declaration 31

Whole Grain from Multiple Ingredients Q. What do we do when the whole grain content comes from multiple ingredients and whole grain is not the first ingredient listed on the label declaration? A. A written product formulation statement must be provided by the company or manufacturer showing the whole grains are the primary ingredient by weight even though a whole grain is not listed as the first ingredient 32

To Evaluate this Product: A product formulation statement is required to determine: 1) How much enriched wheat flour is in this product? 2) How much whole wheat flour is in this product? 33

Crediting/Counting Grains Grains may be credited/counted using the ounce equivalency (oz eq.) method Exhibit A: School Lunch and Breakfast (Grain Chart) All grains are measured in ounce equivalents and must be rounded down to the nearest quarter ounce 34

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Steps for Crediting/Counting Grains 1 slice bread = 38 grams Step 1: Step 2: Step 3: Obtain information from the food label One slice bread = 38 grams Obtain ounce equivalent information from the grain chart (exhibit A group B) 1 oz eq = 28 grams or 1.0 oz Take the weight of bread and divide by grams or weight in ounces and round down to the nearest quarter ounce 38 grams 28 = 1.36 1.25 oz eq 36

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Steps for Crediting/Counting Grains 1 corn muffin = 2.125 oz (57 grams) Step 1: Step 2: Obtain information from the food label One corn muffin = 2.125 oz. Obtain ounce equivalent information from the grain chart (exhibit A group C) 1 oz eq = 34 grams or 1.2 oz Step 3: Divide size of muffin by oz eq and round down to the nearest quarter ounce 2.125 oz. 1.2 oz = 1.77 1.75 oz eq 38

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Child Nutrition (CN) Labels What are Child Nutrition Labels? Allows manufacturers to state the contribution on their labels. The program provides a warranty against audit claims for purchasers of CN labeled products How does the Program work? Requires an evaluation of a product's formulation by FNS to determine its contribution toward meal pattern requirements 40

Child Nutrition (CN) Labels Are CN Labels Required? No! Manufacturers are NOT required to obtain CN labels for their products Schools are NOT required to purchase products with a CN label 41

How do I identify a CN label? In addition to required labeling features, a CN label will always contain the following: The CN logo (which is a distinct border) The meal pattern contribution statement A 6-digit product identification number USDA/FNS authorization statement The month and year of approval 42

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For Additional Information on Grains 44

Dietary Specification Requirements 45

Dietary Specifications (for Lunch and Breakfast) Calories: Minimum and maximum levels Saturated Fat: Less than 10% of calories from saturated fat Sodium: Target limits phased in gradually (Target 1 SY 2012-2015; and Target 2 SY 2017-2018) and final sodium reductions (SY 2022-2023) Trans Fat Limit: Zero grams per offered portion (check labels) 46

Calories Calorie ranges are based on science and data on children s food intake Calorie ranges apply on a weekly basis The meals offered on average over the week must be within the calorie range (min/max) Individual meals offered may be below or above the calorie range Calories do not apply to meal selected by individual student Student selections may also be above or below the ranges 47

Identifying Reimbursable Meals Under Offer Versus Serve (Signage for Lunch and Breakfast) Regulation (7 CFR 210.10(a)(2) requires that schools identify, near or at the beginning of serving lines, what foods constitute unit priced reimbursable meals Schools using OVS must also identify what a student must select in order to have a reimbursable meal under OVS 48

Sample Signage School Nutrition Network: http://www.schoolnutritionandfitness.com/snf_home/index.php 49

Identifying Reimbursable Meals Under Offer Versus Serve In addition to signage or other methods used in the food service areas, schools should provide information on OVS in materials, such as menus and newsletters, provided to parents or posted on websites 50

Breakfast Offer Versus Serve (OVS) and Serve Only Requirements 51

What is Offer Versus Serve? OVS is a concept that applies to menu planning and the meal service Allows students to decline some of the food offered, however, students must select at least ½ cup of the fruit or vegetable component as part of a reimbursable breakfast or lunch The goals of OVS are to reduce food waste and to permit students to choose the foods they want to eat 52 Optional at all levels for breakfast

OVS at Breakfast What Schools Must Offer Must offer at least four food items from three components (grain, fruit, and milk) Food items must be offered in at least the minimum daily portion Double serving of components/food items is allowed for the fruit component and grains component and credited meat/meat alternate when substituted for grains 53

OVS at Breakfast What Students Must Select To Qualify for a Reimbursable Meal: A student must select as least three food items and one selection must be at least ½ cup of fruit Students may select food items from any of the required components 54

Serve Only Breakfast Requirements Schools following serve only must offer at least four food items in the daily required minimum amount from the three required components (grain, fruit, and milk) Students are not allowed to decline any food items under serve only 55

Activity: Identifying Reimbursable Breakfast Meals 56

½ cup 1 oz eq. ½ cup 1 oz eq. *Assume all portions are in compliance with the meal pattern

2 oz eq. 4 oz. ½ cup *Assume all portions are in compliance with the meal pattern

1 oz eq. ½ cup ¼ cup 1 oz eq. counting as a grain *Assume all portions are in compliance with the meal pattern

1 oz eq. ½ cup ¼ cup 1 oz eq. counting as a grain *Assume all portions are in compliance with the meal pattern

1oz egg counting as a grain 1/2c non-starchy vegetables 1oz eq tortilla ½ cup *Assume all portions are in compliance with the meal pattern

½ cup 2 oz eq. ½ cup ½ cup Breakfast in which menu planner has offered 1c non-starchy vegetables throughout week. *Assume all portions are in compliance with the meal pattern

½ cup 1 oz eq. *Assume all portions are in compliance with the meal pattern

4 oz. ½ cup 2 oz eq. *Assume all portions are in compliance with the meal pattern

1 oz eq. granola 4 oz yogurt 1 cup assorted fruit *Assume all portions are in compliance with the meal pattern

Common Missteps with Meeting the Meal Pattern 1) Not offering the minimum requirements for appropriate age/grade ranges 2) Students are not taking either a ½ cup of fruits and/or vegetable to count the meal as reimbursable 3) No signage near or at the beginning of serving lines 66

Questions?? 67

Resources Greenwich, CT Public Schools: http://www.greenwichschools.org/page.cfm?p5824 http://www.sde.ct.gov/sde/lib/sde/pdf/deps/nutrition/nslp/ovs_poster.pdf Iowa Department of Education: http://educateiowa.gov/index.php?option=com_content&id=2595&itemi=4678 John Stalker Institute of Food & Nutrition: http://johnstalkerinstitute.org/ Making it Count: http://makingitcount.info/ Mass in Motion - Create Healthier Schools (MA School Nutrition Standards for Competitive Foods and Beverages): www.mass.gov/dph/healthierschools Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education Office for Nutrition, Health and Safety Programs: http://www.doe.mass.edu/cnp 68

Resources USDA Child Nutrition (CN) Labeling Program http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnlabeling/child-nutrition-cn-labeling-program USDA Food Fact Sheets: http://www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/schfacts/ USDA New Meal Pattern in Schools: U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service, July 2013 http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/mealpatternppt.pdf USDA Nutrition Standards for School Meals: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/ USDA Webinars: http://www.fns.usda.gov/outreach/webinars/child_nutrition.htm Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction: http://fns.dpi.wi.gov/fns_menupln 69