The Requirements for School Lunches

An alarming trend in the United States is the increasing rate of childhood obesity. Overweight children are susceptible to many health risks such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and higher levels of cholesterol and blood pressure. By following guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, schools are looking to combat this issue by providing healthier lunch programs.

  1. Dietary Guidelines

    • All school lunches must comply with the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. According to the guidelines, lunches must provide no more than 30 percent of calories from fat, and no more than 10 percent from saturated fat. Lunches must also provide at least one third of the daily recommended intake of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories.

    Lunch Components

    • When preparing lunches, schools must offer a minimum of five different components to choose from. These components include vegetables, fruit and meat, along with healthy drinks and snacks. Salt shakers and packets are prohibited from being available to students, as are individual sugar packets. Legumes such as beans, lentils, lupins, peas, and peanuts must be offered at least two times per week. They can serve as an alternative to meat, or as a vegetable component. Depending on the resources of the school, extra fruit and vegetables may be provided as a snack.

    Low-Fat Options

    • School lunches should also offer lower fat options to their students at least four days per school week. Low-fat lunches contain items with less than 40 percent of their calories from fat. When serving bread and grains, one half of all grain servings should be whole grain products. According to The Healthier U.S. School Challenge, a whole grain product is any food item on the school menu where the primary grain ingredient is a whole grain.

    Fruits and Vegetables

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