A School Hot Lunch - Then and Now

    A school hot lunch has come a long way since mason jars of soup were heated up on a stove in the classroom.  As school nutrition professionals, we are required to follow complex USDA nutritional requirements.  School menus are a puzzle of components, including whole grains, proteins, dairy, vegetables groups and fruits with limits on calories, fats and sodium that must fit together to meet guidelines.

      A new menu item often starts as a suggestion or has been spotted at an industry food show.  Then it has to find a place on the menu where it fits the weekly nutritional totals. The end goal is a menu that offers our students healthy lunch options that they will enjoy and will encourage healthy eating habits.