Public and Private Efforts for the National School Lunch Program

Children’s Diets Public and Private Efforts for the National School Lunch Program

Charlene Price and Betsey Kuhn (202) 501-6765 (202) 219-0409

he National School Lunch Pro- the Recommended Dietary Al- program, efforts are also underway gram (NSLP) is one of the lowance (RDA) for key nutrients for to educate school foodservice work- T best-known Federal Govern- some age groups. ers and children about nutrition. ment programs. During fiscal 1995, The regulations surrounding the Schools are also experimenting with about 26 million children in just NSLP were amended in 1995 in re- allowing private firms to enter the over 94,000 schools and residential sponse to evolving knowledge about school lunch market. Such public- childcare institutions participated in nutrition and the dietary needs of private partnerships have led to the the program, at a Federal cost of Americans. NSLP lunch menus are development of more nutritious fast about $5.1 billion—up about 3 per- required to meet critical nutritional food products for use in school cent since fiscal 1994. needs by the 1996-97 school year. lunch menus. The NSLP provides lunches to Waivers may be granted by individ- children in public and nonprofit pri- ual State agencies for up to 2 years Goals Evolved Along With vate schools and residential child- to allow schools time to train food- Nutrition Knowledge care institutions. The U.S. Depart- service employees and to accommo- ment of Agriculture (USDA) pro- date other special circumstances. The dietary goals of the NSLP vides schools with cash and Through the “School Meals Initia- have been based on food guidance commodities to partially offset the tive for Healthy Children,” USDA is information made available by cost of the program’s food and food- working with school foodservice USDA. This nutrition information service. Additional cash is provided personnel to provide nutritious and has evolved over time to incorporate to subsidize lunches for low-income palatable meals with less fat and the latest information about the rela- children. To participate in the pro- sodium and more fiber. Through the tionship of diet to health. gram, schools must serve lunches that meet Federal nutritional requirements and offer free and reduced-price lunches to children de- Profile of USDA’s National School Lunch termined eligible for such benefits. A recent study sponsored by Program, 1995 USDA showed that, averaged over 1 • Schools and residential childcare institutions participating: 94,154 week, school lunches in the NSLP • Lunches served daily: 26 million provided nutritious food to the Na- tion’s school children at reasonable • Free lunch—12.4 million served daily—Requirement: Family income prices. However, on average, below 130 percent of the Federal poverty level ($19,695 for a family of lunches are high in fat, saturated fat, four). and sodium, and some fall short of • Reduced-price lunch—1.9 million served daily—Requirement: Family income from 130 percent to 185 percent of the Federal poverty level ($28,028 for a family of four). • USDA-purchased commodities—1.05 billion pounds Price is an economist and Kuhn is the Director of • Expenditures for the NSLP, fiscal 1995—$5.1 billion the Food and Consumer Economics Division, Eco- nomic Research Service, USDA.

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The National School Lunch Act of Focus on Improving the USDA Provides Flexibility 1946 established the NSLP to “safe- Nutritional Quality of To Meet Nutritional guard the health and well-being of our Nation’s children.” Nutritional Meals Standards concerns at that time centered Children’s diets need improve- The new regulations provide around reducing nutrient deficien- ment to meet the recommendations school foodservice directors with cies due to underconsumption of of the Dietary Guidelines. Recent several menu planning options to food. In particular, at the time, mili- studies show children’s overall diets help them meet the revised nutrition tary recruits were failing physical meet the RDA’s for most vitamins requirements. Under one option, fitness requirements thought to be and minerals, but their intake of called Nutrient Standard Menu caused, in part, by nutrient deficien- total fat, saturated fat, and sodium Planning or NuMenus, schools con- cies. The Act sought to address un- exceed Dietary Guideline recom- duct a nutrient analysis on foods of- derconsumption by requiring NSLP mendations. Research has shown fered in the program over a school meals to provide balanced nutrition that foods prepared away from week. This analysis is done using and minimum amounts of specific home are typically higher in fat and computer software. Appropriate ad- food groups—meat/meat alternate, saturated fat than are foods pre- justments are then made to ensure bread/bread alternate, vegetables/ pared at home (see “The Quality of that the meals averaged over the fruits, and milk—amounts sufficient Children’s Diets At and Away From week meet the nutrition standards to provide one-third of the RDA’s Home,” elsewhere in this issue). for key nutrients. When using Nu- for key nutrients. School lunches have been no excep- Menus, the traditional five-item- As nutrient deficiencies due to un- tion. minimum menu requirement (one derconsumption lessened for many A 1993 USDA dietary assessment meat/meat alternate, one bread/ children, other nutritional concerns of school meals showed that, on av- bread alternate, two vegetables/ arose. By the 1970’s, concerns fo- erage, school lunches provided fruits, and one milk) would no cused on excessive consumption of foods sufficient to meet approxi- longer be used. Instead, lunches fat in many diets. In 1980, the first mately one-third or more of the would have to include a minimum edition of the Dietary Guidelines for RDA for key nutrients, including vi- of three menu items—an entree or Americans was published, providing tamins A, C, and B6, and calcium, main course, fluid milk, and one Federal dietary recommendations iron, and zinc. However, school other food item—and meet required for healthy Americans ages 2 years lunches exceeded the recommended nutrition standards. and over. These guidelines provided levels for fat and saturated fat (aver- A second option, called Assisted directional changes, focusing atten- age program lunches contained 38 NuMenus, allows schools to arrange tion on the importance of modifying percent of calories from total fat and for menu development and nutrition diets to reduce consumption of fat 15 percent of calories from saturated analysis by outside entities, such as and other components. The Dietary fat). State agencies, consortiums of Guidelines are reviewed by a panel In USDA’s revision of the nutri- school food authorities, or private of experts every 5 years to deter- tional requirements of NSLP meals consultants. mine whether the existing recom- in 1995, lunches, averaged over a 1- Schools may opt to continue using mendations need to be updated week period, are required to provide the food-based meal pattern for based on current scientific findings one-third of the RDA for protein, vi- school lunches or they may elect to in the fields of nutrition and health. tamins A and C, iron, calcium, and use another option, which is an en- In the most recent Dietary Guide- calories. Averaged over a week, hanced food-based system of menu lines for Americans (1995), people are lunches must contain no more than planning and preparation with in- urged to eat a variety of foods; 30 percent of calories from fat and creased quantities of vegetables, maintain or improve their weight; less than 10 percent of calories from fruits, and bread/grain products choose a diet with plenty of grain saturated fat. Schools must conform (table 1), that meet required nutri- products, vegetables, and fruits; and to these criteria by the 1996-97 tional standards over a school week. choose a diet moderate in sugars, school year, unless they received a There may be other reasonable ap- salt, and sodium. The guidelines waiver. proaches to meal planning that also recommend that people choose would achieve compliance with the a diet that provides no more than 30 new NSLP nutrition standards. percent of total calories from fat and Therefore, USDA is developing reducing saturated fat to less than 10 guidelines and a proposed rule that percent of calories. would set criteria for State agencies

FoodReview 52 Children’s Diets to use when they consider and ap- provided by USDA. The rest is pur- rella cheese products with maxi- prove such approaches. chased by the schools or by private mum fat content of 10.8 percent organizations under contract with will be substituted as an alterna- Improving the Nutritional the schools. Foods provided by tive to part-skimmed mozzarella, Quality of Food Products USDA will be: which is up to 21 percent fat; the maximum fat content of reduced- • Lower in fat. For example, the In addition to focusing on better- fat peanut butter products will be maximum fat content of frozen ing the meals, USDA is also improv- cut to 12 grams of fat per 2-table- ground beef and frozen ground ing the nutritional quality of the spoon serving. pork will be reduced by at least 1 commodities it provides to schools. percentage point a year, from 17- • Lower in sodium. For example, About 17 percent (1 billion pounds) 19 percent in 1995-96 to 15-17 per- refried beans and canned carrots of the food served in school meals is cent by 1997-98; “light” mozza- will have lower salt levels; and

Table 1 The Enhanced Food-Based Meal Pattern

Minimum quantities required per day Meal Option for component Ages 1-2 Preschool Grades K-6 Grades 7-12 K-grade 3

Milk as a beverage 6 ounces 6 ounces 8 ounces 8 ounces 8 ounces

Meat or meat alternate: Lean meat, poultry, or fish 1 oz. 1½ oz. 2 oz. 2 oz. 1½ oz. Cheese 1 oz. 11.2 oz. 2 oz. 2 oz.* 1½ oz. Large egg ½ ¾ 1 1 ¾ Cooked dry beans or peas ¼ cup d cup ½ cup ½ cup* d cup Peanut butter or other nut or 2 Tbsp. 2 Tbsp. 4 Tbsp. 4 Tbsp. 3 Tbsp. seed butters

The following may be used to ½ oz. = 50% ¾ oz. = 50% 1 oz. = 50% 1 oz. = 50% ¾ oz. = 50% meet no more than half of the requirement and must be used in combination with any of the above: Peanuts, soynuts, tree nuts, or seeds, as listed in program guidance, or an equivalent quantity of any combination of the above meat/meat alternate (1 ounce of nuts/seeds = 1 ounce of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish.)

Vegetables/fruits (2 or more ½ cup ½ cup ¾ cup** 1 cup** ¾ cup servings of vegetables or plus extra ½ fruits or both) cup over a week1

Grains/breads--Must be enriched 5 servings 8 servings 12 servings** 15 servings** 10 servings** or whole grain product. A per week- per week- per week- per week- per week- serving is a slice of bread minimum of minimum of minimum of minimum of minimum of or an equivalent serving of ½ serving 1 serving 1 serving 1 serving 1 serving biscuits, rolls, etc., or ½ cup per day1 per day1 per day1, 2 per day1, 2 per day1, 2 of cooked rice, macaroni, noodles, or other pasta products or cereal grains. Notes: * = Decreased serving size. ** = Increased serving amount. 1For the purposes of this chart, a week equals 5 days. 2Up to one grains/breads serving per day may be a dessert.

May-August 1996 53 Children’s Diets

the maximum amount of salt in 15,000 school districts in the United of lunch programs, while increasing canned tuna and salmon will be States have contracted with foodser- participation and the nutritional reduced from 1.5 percent to about vice companies to manage their quality of lunches. For example, the 1 percent. school foodservice programs. Con- five schools in the South Pasadena • Lower in sugar. For example, tract foodservice companies have Unified School District in California sweet potatoes will be packed in been involved in the school food reduced costs by about $50,000 a fruit juice instead of syrup; and programs for nearly 50 years. These year in food and product costs over red tart cherries will also contain companies provide complete food the 1993-94 and 1994-95 school years reduced sugar levels. management services—offering when their lunch program was man- menu ideas, recipes, employee train- aged by Marriott, a private foodser- These and other product modifi- ing, purchasing assistance, inven- vice company (the year before Mar- cations should contribute signifi- tory control, and other management riott got involved, the lunch pro- cantly toward improving the nutri- services. gram was $30,000 over budget). In tional content of school lunches. In 1995, all 330 public schools in addition, fat and sodium levels have Rhode Island contracted with pri- been lowered to improve the health- Improving Food Choices vate foodservice companies to man- fulness of meals. Lunch participa- age their school foodservice pro- tion has increased and plate waste The meals and food products are grams. Since then, local officials re- has been decreased by setting up not the only targets of USDA’s rein- port that participation increased and buffet tables where students serve vention efforts for the program. students threw away less food. For themselves. School meals also need to be palat- example, these schools served 2,652 The General Accounting Office able to children participating in the lunches a day during the 1991-92 completed a study in July 1996 of program, so there is minimal food school year. In 1995, in schools national plate waste in the NSLP. waste. Team Nutrition was created where private firms provided the The amount of food thrown away to be the implementation tool for cafeteria food, the number of varied by type of food, according to USDA’s “School Meals Initiative for lunches served grew 31 percent. In- school cafeteria managers. For ex- Healthy Children.” Team Nutrition’s spections at several of those elemen- ample, the average amount of waste two components are technical assis- tary schools found that most of the for cooked vegetables was 42 per- tance/training and nutrition educa- hot-food trays were “completely cent, compared with 11 percent for tion. Its mission is to improve the cleared of food” by the end of the milk. Almost 80 percent of cafeteria health and nutrition of children by lunch period. The privately man- managers believed that allowing creating innovative public and pri- aged lunch program for 1 Rhode Is- students to select only what they vate partnerships that promote food land School District, composed of 41 want to eat would reduce plate choices for a healthy diet (see box). schools, generated a $350,000-sav- waste. Some existing partnerships include ings in the 1994-95 school year The major companies providing organizations such as The Walt Dis- through increased revenues and foodservice to U.S. public schools ney Company, Scholastic Inc., and lower costs. are Marriott Management Services; the National PTA. The Salem-Keizer School District Aramark, Inc.; and Daka, Inc. Under the technical assistance/ in Salem, Oregon, has used private Marriott, the largest foodservice training component of Team Nutri- contractors for the lunch programs contractor in the United States, has tion, USDA will provide the educa- at its 52 schools for about 15 years. been in the school foodservice busi- tion, motivation, and training to According to local officials, the pro- ness for 25 years. It operates in 3,500 school foodservice personnel to program spent about $100,000 more schools and 350 school districts. vide healthy meals that appeal to than originally budgeted during the Grand Marketplace, one of their sec- children and that meet the Dietary last year of the district-run lunch ondary-school programs, replicates Guidelines. program. Since privatization, the a food court at school, by offering a program has saved between choice of eight entrees. This pro- Foodservice Companies $150,000 and $350,000 a year for the gram is designed to facilitate faster Also in on the Act district. service and maximize the use of the Other school districts also report facilities. At least once a week a food Faced with dwindling budgets successfully working with private bar is offered—potato, pizza, bagel, and increased per child lunch costs contractors to reduce operating costs taco, soup, salad, hot dog/ham- due to decreased participation in the burger, pasta, chili, and sandwich— NSLP, more school foodservice di- where students can build their own rectors are using alternative pro- meals. grams. Approximately 1,000 of the

FoodReview 54 Children’s Diets

Aramark, the second-largest U.S. These and other contract foodser- and videos on exercise and nutri- foodservice contractor, has catered vice companies are working with tion; to songs, games, quizzes, and to schools for 45 years. They have USDA and local schools to imple- cards filled with fun facts, to com- seen a marked increase in their ment the new regulations for health- puter nutrition education programs school accounts in the last 5 to 7 ful school meals. For example, Mar- that stress the importance of eating a years. Aramark is currently in 330 riott is testing a new menu called variety of foods by acquainting stu- school districts (2,300 schools) across Healthy School Meals in 12 school dents with the Food Guide Pyramid. the country. districts. It includes 30 recipes modi- Massachusetts-based Daka, Inc., fied to be lower in fat. Fast Food Chains Adding has been in school foodservice since These companies also offer a wide to the Menu 1976. Daka is currently in 60 school variety of educational materials fo- districts (100 schools) nationwide. cusing on nutrition education tai- Fast food chains are recent en- Daka, Inc., is the 10th ranked con- lored for students in kindergarten trants into school foodservice. They tract foodservice chain in the United through grade 12. These range from are a small but growing component States. interactive classroom lesson plans of those providing meals for the pro-

USDA Acts To Improve School Meals and Children’s Nutrition To show support for USDA’s ef- children’s diets. But no meal, how- The in-school component of the forts to improve school meals, Con- ever healthy, will have an effect on program has been developed in co- gress passed The Healthy Meals for health unless it is eaten. Team Nu- operation with Scholastic, Inc. To- Healthy Americans Act of 1994 trition is USDA’s nationwide pro- gether, Team Nutrition and Scholas- (Public Law 103-448), which re- gram, developed to help schools im- tic have created a nutrition educa- quired meals served under the Na- plement the School Meals Initiative tion program that can be integrated tional School Lunch Program and for Healthy Children. The nutrition into the basic school curriculum. School Breakfast Program to meet promotion arm of Team Nutrition is Through this partnership, Team Nu- the Dietary Guidelines for Americans a multifaceted, national effort to trition expects to reach over 23 mil- by July 1, 1996. USDA launched the provide nutrition education through lion young people and 1.4 million School Meals Initiative for Healthy schools, families, the community, teachers in 90 percent of America’s Children, a comprehensive ap- and the media. In addition, Team schools. proach to turning Congress’s man- Nutrition provides training and In cooperation with USDA’s Cen- date into a successful program. The technical assistance to support food- ter for Nutrition Policy and Promo- initiative includes actions to support service personnel in implementing tion and USDA’s Cooperative State State and local foodservice organi- the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Research, Education, and Extension zations in improving school meals in school meals. Team Nutrition will Service, Team Nutrition has devel- and a broad- based nutrition promo- also monitor the implementation oped the Team Nutrition Commu- tion program to increase the popu- and evaluate the success of the pro- nity Action Kit, which it has distrib- larity of school meals and encour- gram. uted through State and local cooper- age children to improve their over- Team Nutrition created a network ative extension service agencies and all diets. of public-private partnerships to to 4-H clubs and the Internet. School lunches are now required help spread its research-based mes- Taken together, all these promo- to provide one-third of the RDA for sages. The Walt Disney Company tion and training activities provide a protein, vitamins A and C, iron, cal- created two 30-second Team Nutri- comprehensive, reinforcing strategy cium, and calories, while school tion Public Service Announcements for improving school meals and breakfasts must provide one-fourth (PSA’s) featuring characters from children’s diets. of the day’s allowance for those nu- The Lion King movie. The PSA’s are For more information, contact trients and calories. Both lunches being broadcast regularly on the Team Nutrition at (703) 305-1624, and breakfasts averaged over a 1- Disney cable television channel and FAX (703) 305-2148, or e-mail to week period must contain no more are available at no cost to all broad- [email protected] than 30 percent of calories from fat cast television stations and cable and less than 10 percent of calories television services. Supporting —By Joanne Guthrie with USDA’s from saturated fat. posters featuring the Disney charac- Center for Nutrition Policy and Promo- Providing healthy meals is the ters were also produced for use in tion, (202) 606-4837. first important step in improving schools and communities.

May-August 1996 55 Children’s Diets

gram. In schools, fast food chains Figure 1 offer limited food fare. Fast food Fast Food Chains and Contract Foodservice Companies a items offered as part of a NSLP meal Small Segment of the National School Lunch Program must meet USDA nutrition require- Number of schools and residential childcare institutions, 1994-95 ments, requiring some items to be 100,000 modified. (Fast food fare is also of- Total schools in the program -- 94,154 fered in some schools “a la carte,” with each food item offered and priced separately from NSLP meals. 75,000 These a la carte items are priced higher than the same product is priced when included in the NSLP 50,000 meal. Students receiving a NSLP school meal can buy extra food a la carte, but they pay full price for the 25,000 food.) The number of schools serving fast food is low but growing. Cur- 3,500 5,000 100 500 1,000 2,000 2,300 rently, approximately nine fast food 0 chains sell to schools across the Daka Chick-fil-A Subway Taco Bell Aramark Marriott Pizza Hut country: Pizza Hut, Little Caesar’s, Note: Excludes McDonald's, Little Caesar's, and Domino's, which do not reveal the number of schools Domino’s, Taco Bell, Subway, Chick- that serve their products. Also excludes Blimpie's and Arby's, which are in fewer than 50 schools. fil-A, McDonald’s, Blimpie’s, and Arby’s (fig. 1). (Little Caesar’s, Domino’s, and McDonald’s are not aggressively pursuing the school participation increases on the days schools nationwide in 1994-95. Their lunch market and are not monitor- that brand name, fast food products catering programs provide schools ing the number of schools they are sold. For example, Capital Hill with a fresh prepared product deliv- serve. Arby’s and Blimpie’s are in Schools in Dover, Delaware, added ered directly to the school cafeteria. fewer than 50 schools.) Pizza Hut products at high schools Taco Bell’s catered products include PepsiCo’s Pizza Hut has the high- in 1994 when seniors were allowed a bean burrito, beef burrito, combi- est school presence, in approxi- to go off-campus for lunch. NSLP nation bean and beef burrito, and a mately 5,000 of the just over 94,000 meal participation in those high chili cheese burrito. In order to meet schools across the country in 1994- schools rose 18 percent on the days USDA’s nutrient requirement for 95, up from 4,000 in 1992-93. Pizza Pizza Hut products were sold. protein, additional beans, meat, or Hut offers several one-topping piz- Brand day rotations also lessen on- cheese are added to their regular re- zas to schools—pepperoni pizza and site labor requirements because the tail products for service at schools. cheese pizza are the most popular food arrives at the school fully pre- Another approximately 350 among the students. Two other pared. schools are licensed to prepare and pizza chains offer similar products McDonald’s was the first chain to serve Taco Bell tacos and burritos. in the school lunch market nation- offer products in school lunch pro- The school purchases food supplies wide—Domino’s and Little Cae- grams—approximately 20 years ago. from the chain, and the chain trains sar’s. Under the nutrient-based op- McDonald’s currently offers two the school staff to prepare the prod- tion, the pizza does not have to be products to schools—hamburgers uct. A line of frozen Taco Bell food modified. But under the food-based and cheeseburgers. In some schools, products is also served in those option, the pizza would have to be students cannot buy the burger a la schools. modified to meet the 2-ounce pro- carte. They must buy the complete Taco Bell is the only chain that has tein requirement set up by the NSLP. school lunch as part of the NSLP, designed a lower fat menu espe- Schools are increasingly offering which also includes school-prepared cially for schools, although two of “brand days,” in which the school french fries, salad, and milk. its four specially designed products rotates the fast food chains’ products Taco Bell, another subsidiary of exceed the limit of 30 percent of with regular cafeteria offerings. Sev- PepsiCo, Inc., is the largest U.S. calories from fat as outlined in the eral school districts report that lunch chain serving Mexican food. Taco Dietary Guidelines: chicken bean en- Bell entered school foodservice in 1992 and served around 2,000

FoodReview 56 Children’s Diets chiladas have 35 percent of their In 1995, Blimpie International en- References calories from fat, and fiesta tered into a partnership with public casseroles have 34 percent of calo- school foodservices in one district in “Building a Better School Lunch: ries from fat. Taco Bell’s chicken Colorado and two on Long Island, USDA Orders Less Fat, Salt in Pro- burritos have 30 percent of calories New York. They set up a quick-ser- gram Foods,” The Washington Post, from fat, and 27 percent of calories vice counter in schools to sell the Health Section, Oct. 24, 1995, p.16. in Taco Bell’s Border pizza are from company’s standard menu, but the fat. school foodservice staff operates the Burghardt, John, and Barbara De- Subway has served sandwiches in unit. vaney. The School Nutrition Dietary approximately 1,000 schools nation- Blimpie’s cold cut sandwiches are Assessment Study: Summary of Find- wide since 1992. These are delivered offered under the NSLP and also ings. USDA, Food and Nutrition Ser- cold and without mayonnaise. Sub- sold a la carte. Under the NSLP, vice. Oct. 1993. way’s cold-cut sandwiches are less however, sandwiches are modified than 30 percent of calories from fat. to meet the protein requirements. Donovan, Sharon. “The Benefits of Their products do not have to be Private Contractors: Four Case Stud- ies,” School Business Affairs, May modified in any way and are sold in On Tomorrow’s Menu most schools under a licensing or 1996, pp. 25-31. catered program. Subway sand- Parents and school and govern- wiches can be included in the NSLP ment officials have expressed con- Oleck, Joan. “Go Ahead, Make My meal plan or can be sold a la carte. cern about the nutritional value of Lunch” Restaurant Business, July 20, Chick-fil-A, Inc., has been in the fast food products in school 1994, pp. 54-62. schools since 1992. The chain deliv- lunches—with some being over the ers a fried chicken-fillet sandwich, 30 percent of calories from fat al- United States General Accounting with 27 percent of calories from fat, lowance. However, the chains insist Office. School Lunch Program: Cafete- to schools for their lunch program. that under the new regulations, fast ria Managers’ Views on Food Wasted by Chick-fil-A currently services about food products can be incorporated Students. Report to the Chairman, 500 schools and the number is grow- into week-long menus that average Committee on Economic and Educa- ing. the fat content to acceptable levels. tional Opportunities, House of Repre- Arby’s is new to the school lunch The Government and private ven- sentatives, GAO/RCED-96-191. July circuit. The chain started a pilot pro- dors are working together to bring 1996. gram with the San Juan Unified more tasty, nutritious, healthy meals School District in California in early to our Nation’s school children. U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1995. Prewrapped roast beef sand- USDA is working with contract Food and Consumer Service. “Child wiches are delivered hot daily in foodservice companies to help them Nutrition Programs, School Meal In- special insulated containers to 10 of comply with new regulations. Al- itiatives for Healthy Children: Final the district’s 19 secondary schools. ready, Marriott, Aramark, and Daka Rule,” Federal Register, Rules and Reg- Sandwiches are modified to contain are testing new, healthier products ulations, Part II, Vol. 60, No. 113, 2-ounce portions of beef (with a and menus in some school districts June 13, 1995, pp. 31188-31222. sauce package) to qualify as part of to see which ones the students like. a NSLP lunch. The school district Manufacturers and processors plans to expand the program to all have developed many new lowfat 19 of their secondary schools by the and low-sodium products—such as end of the 1996-97 school year. light butter, lowfat macaroni and cheese, prune puree (as a fat substi- tute), meatless spaghetti sauce, and boneless turkey ham—that can be useful in meeting the NSLP requirements. In addition to changing the foods and meals, USDA has joined with private companies and public groups to provide nutrition information for children and their parents to promote life-long healthy food choices.

May-August 1996 57