Royal Oak Schools Mix It Up in the Lunchroom

Schools nationwide will be serving healthier lunches this year.

Royal Oak schools are no exception. Like other districts across the country, they will implement new guidelines set by the United States Department of Agriculture this year that aim to improve the quality of school lunches by increasing their nutritional value.

School lunches are now separated into five components: meats/meat alternates, grains, fruits, vegetables and milk. A student must take three of the five components for it to be considered a meal, and one of those components must be at least one serving of a fruit or vegetable.

"Last year we could combine a fruit and a vegetable as a component. Now every meal must have a fruit or a vegetable," said Jody Taratuta, of Chartwells Food Service, in a presentation to the Royal Oak School Board in August. "We have to count colors and make sure so many colors are available each day throughout the week. Everything is based on minimums and maximums."

Over the last couple of years, many changes have already been rolled in, such as using nutrient rich spinach and romaine instead of iceberg lettuce - and, with more compliments than complaints, according to Taratuta.

“A lot of our menu changes have been in effect since 2010 so your students aren't going to see a whole lot of drastic changes,” she said. “We have been trying to be very proactive.”

[See Royal Oak Schools Rank Third for Using Local Produce in Lunches]

The new rules will also reduce sodium and saturated fat levels in school meals and now half of the grains offered (pizza crust, rolls, muffins) must be whole grains.

"We took away the salt shakers and the packets years ago," Tartula said. "Now we are looking at the processing of the foods and working with manufacturers and getting them on board to comply."

There are some changes students might notice, such as the elimination of a pattern of "breakfast for lunch" meals on Wednesdays and Bosco Stick meals Thursdays at the elementary school level.

"While these may have been our highest participation days they may not have been viewed as the most healthy meals on the menu," said Mike Jacobs, director of food services. Eliminating the pattern will allow for a variety of more healthful meals throughout the month, he said.

Additionally, the USDA has regulated the minimum and maximum amounts of certain meal components that schools can give to each student:

Kindergarten-Grade 5:

• Fruits: ½ cup minimum per day
• Vegetables: ¾ cup minimum per day
• Grains: 8-9 ounces per week
• Meats/meat alternates: 8-10 ounces per week
• Calories: 550-650 calories per lunch
• Trans fat: 0 trans fat

Grades 6-8:

• Fruits: ½ cup minimum per day
• Vegetables: ¾ cup minimum per day
• Grains: 8-10 ounces per week
• Meats/meat alternates: 9-10 ounces per week
• Calories: 600-700 calories per lunch
• Trans fat: 0 trans fat

Grades 9-12:

• Fruits: 1 cup minimum per day
• Vegetables: 1 cup minimum per day
• Grains: 10-12 ounces per week
• Meats/meat alternates: 10-12 ounces per week
• Calories: 750-850 calories per lunch
• Trans fat: 0 trans fat

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