Wissahickon Students Must Take Fruit or Vegetable With Lunch

Skip Daino, representative from Chartwells, presented the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 and Wissahickon’s plan to implement the act to the school board on Monday.

The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act must be implemented for the 2012-13 school year, and the biggest change to school lunches is that students must take a fruit or a vegetable for the district to be reimbursed.

Daino said more often than not, students at the and don’t take a fruit or vegetable with their meals.

The biggest obstacle will be making students, parents and the cafeteria staff aware that all students must have a fruit or vegetable on their trays before they arrive at the cashier.

He said they have thought about combining entrees and vegetables on the menu so students automatically get a vegetable when they get an entrée.

He added that 50 percent of all grains served must be whole grains next year. Daino said Wissahickon is already compliant.

All flavored milk must be skim milk, and unflavored can be skim or 1 percent. The district moved to this model this school year and has not had complaints from students.

In the 2014-15 school year, Daino said there will be additional changes, including all grains that are served must be whole grains and a requirement of average sodium allowed in meals.

Daino said rising food costs have made an impact at Wissahickon, with the district paying $5,391 more this year for half pint of milk over last year. He added that the schedule changes at the high school next year, which will add an additional lunch period will also increase labor costs to the district by $19,347. On the other hand, there will be lowered costs at the elementary schools.

A la carte regulations were not discussed in the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act.