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  3. School Meal Requirements

School Meal Requirements

The Lamar County School District Child Nutrition Program operates under the guidance of the National School Lunch Act. In adherence to this act, all school menus have been carefully selected to insure that all nutritional requirements have been met and are based on student acceptance. A variety of menu items are offered for middle school and high school students, while a limited choice is offered to elementary students.

  • The LCSD is a member of the State Department Cooperative that assures the highest quality food products are purchased for students, each having been student-tested before being placed on bid. All processed foods are required to have a label attached before they can be purchased. (See item A.) All breads/grains must be enriched.

Beginning the school year 2006, the Child Nutrition Department will serve whole grain bread products, without frostings, for breakfast. All extra food sales will remain the same. A student must purchase a school lunch to obtain any extra sales items: Bottled water, juice, baked chips, or whole grain cookies.

The Goal

The nutritional goal for school lunches is to furnish at least 1/3 of the Recommended Dietary Allowances of the National Research Council for children of various age groups. The School Lunch Pattern requirements provide the framework for nutritionally adequate school lunches.

Add Other Foods, not part of the lunch requirements, as needed to complete lunches, to help Improve acceptability, and to provide additional food energy and other nutrients. To help ensure that all School Lunches meet the nutritional goal, it is required that lunches include:

  • A Vitamin A vegetable or fruit at least twice a week
  • A Vitamin C vegetable or fruit several times a week
  • Several foods for IRON each day
  • Keeping fat, sugar, and salt at moderate levels
  • Offering a choice of foods
  • Serving no one form of meat or meat alternate more than three times a week, if no choice of foods is offered

The Lamar County School District takes great pride in meeting these requirements daily.

Additional Goals include:

  • Meeting 1/3 of the Recommended Dietary allowances (RDA)
  • Meeting Calorie Goals (age-appropriate)
  • Meeting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The Lamar County School District exceeds these requirements. (See school menu nutrient analysis.)