E4300 - Nutrition Standards

National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs
In order to increase the nutritional integrity of the breakfast and lunch program while decreasing plate waste and reducing food cost, the district will follow nutrient standard menu planning and will strive to meet federal nutrition standards on a daily, rather than weekly basis.

Competitive Foods: A La Carte
The portion size of a la carte entrees (freshly made daily entrees, pre-packaged entrees), servings of dairy products and side dishes will not be greater than the size of comparable portions offered as part of school meals. Fruits and non-fried vegetables are exempt from portion-size limits.

An entrée item that is sold individually may not contain more than four grams of fat per 100 calories and may not contain more than 450 total calories.

Competitive Foods:  Snacks
Other a la carte items (“snacks”) will meet the Healthy Snacks Guidelines.

Healthy Snacks Guidelines

Applies to: Items sold in a school at all times during the regular or extended school day, as defined by ORS 336.423(5)(a) and (5)(b) which state:

The standards required by this section apply to food and beverage items sold in a school at all times during the regular or extended school day when the activities in the school are primarily under the control of the school district board.  This includes, but is not limited to, the time before or after classes are in session and the time when the school is being used for activities such as clubs, yearbook, band or choir practice, student government, drama rehearasls or child care programs.

The standards required by this section do not apply to food and beverage items sold in a school at times when the school is being used for school-related events or nonschool-related events for which parents and other adults are a significant part of an audience or are selling food or beverage items before, during or after the event, such as a sporting event or another interscholastic activity, a play or a band or choir concert.

Snack Foods: Each individual food item may not contain any trans fat and will have no more than:

• 35% of its calories from fat (excluding legumes, nuts, seeds, non-fried vegetables, cheese, eggs, and other nut butters) and 10% of its calories from saturated (excluding nuts, eggs, and cheese);
• 35% of its weight from added sugars (does not apply to fruit and vegetables);
• 350 mg of sodium per serving for bread, sweets and salty snacks; 480 mg for nutrient-dense snacks (nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, dairy); 530 mg for pre-packaged entrees, such as "hot pockets", soups, burritos; 600 mg for freshly made daily entrees.

K-5th Grade -  items may not contain more than 150 total calories.

6-8th Grade - items may not contain more than 180 total calories.

9-12th Grade - items may not contain more than 200 total calories.

Beverages

K-5th Grade
Beverages will be limited to water and the following:

• Fruit or vegetable juice, provided the beverage item is not more than eight ounces, is 100% juice with no added sweeteners and contains no more than 120 calories per eight ounces.  
• Milk or a nutritionally equivalent milk alternative, provided the beverage item is not more than eight ounces, is fat free or low fat and, if flavored, contains no more than 150 calories per eight ounces.

6-8th Grade
Beverages will be limited to water and the following:

• Fruit or vegetable juice, provided the beverage item is not more than ten ounces, is 100% juice with no added sweeteners and contains no more than 150 calories.  
• Milk or a nutritionally equivalent milk alternative, provided the beverage item is not more than ten ounces, is fat free or low fat and, if flavored, contains no more than 190 calories.

9-12th Grade
Beverages will be limited to water and the following:

• Fruit or vegetable juice, provided the beverage item is not more than twelve ounces, is 100% juice with no added sweeteners and contains no more than 180 calories.  
• Milk or a nutritionally equivalent milk alternative, provided the beverage item is not more than twelve ounces, is fat free or low fat and, if flavored, contains no more than 225 calories.
• A no-calorie or low-calorie beverage if the beverage contains no more than 10 calories per eight ounces, excluding beverages defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as “Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value” (e.g., soda water).  A beverage that is not more than 12 ounces and contains no more than 100 calories, excluding beverages defined by the USDA as “Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value.” 

Healthy Parties Guidelines

Applies to Food Distributed During the School Day as Part of a Celebration or School Party.

Beverages

Encouraged:

K-5th Grade
Beverages limited to water and the following:

• Fruit or vegetable juice, provided the beverage item is not more than eight ounces, is 100% juice with no added sweeteners and contains no more than 120 calories per eight ounces.  
• Milk or a nutritionally equivalent milk alternative, provided the beverage item is not more than eight ounces, is fat free or low fat and, if flavored, contains no more than 150 calories per eight ounces.

6-8th Grade
Beverages limited to water and the following:

• Fruit or vegetable juice, provided the beverage item is not more than ten ounces, is 100% juice with no added sweeteners and contains no more than 150 calories.  
• Milk or a nutritionally equivalent milk alternative, provided the beverage item is not more than ten ounces, is fat free or low fat and, if flavored, contains no more than 190 calories.

9-12th Grade
Beverages limited to water and the following:

• Fruit or vegetable juice, provided the beverage item is not more than twelve ounces, is 100% juice with no added sweeteners and contains no more than 180 calories.  
• Milk or a nutritionally equivalent milk alternative, provided the beverage item is not more than twelve ounces, is fat free or low fat and, if flavored, contains no more than 225 calories.
• A no-calorie or low-calorie beverage if the beverage contains no more than 10 calories per eight ounces, excluding beverages defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as “Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value” (e.g., soda water).  A beverage that is not more than 12 ounces and contains no more than 100 calories,  excluding beverages defined by the USDA as “Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value.”

Not allowed: Beverages of Minimal Nutritional Value as defined by the USDA (soda water or "pop").

Foods

Encouraged:

Each individual food items that do not contain any trans fat and have no more than:

• 35% of its calories from fat (excluding legumes, nuts, seeds, non-fried vegetables, cheese, eggs, and other nut butters) and 10% of its calories from saturated (excluding nuts, eggs, and cheese) 
• 35% of its weight from added sugars (does not apply to fruit and vegetables); 
• 350 mg of sodium per serving for bread, sweets and salty snacks; 480 mg for nutrient-dense snacks (nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, dairy); 530 mg for pre-packaged entrees, such as "hot pockets," soups, burritos; 600 mg for freshly made  entrees.

Portion Sizes

Portion sizes should be reasonable given the age of the student.  Appropriate portion sizes for beverages are noted under “Beverages.”

Suggestions for Healthy Foods for Snacks and Parties

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Lo-fat yogurt or sour cream-based dips (be aware of sugar and salt content)
• Canned fruits (preferably packed in natural fruit juices instead of syrups)
• Dried fruits
• Trail mix and granola bars (be aware of products that contain nuts or nut byproducts)
• Sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• Yogurt or Soy-gurt
• Jerky
• Ritz chips
• Baked chips (be aware that baked Cheetos and Sunchips are higher in fat and sodium than other baked chip varieties)
• Salsa, guacamole, bean dip and fruit salsa
• Pita bread or pita chips and hummus dip
• Whole grain cereals (be aware of sugar content)
• Whole grain or multigrain crackers and cheese (cheese made with 2% milk is better)
• 100% frozen fruit juice bars
• Fruit smoothies (preferably yogurt or sorbet based)
• Whole grain and fruit/vegetable breads and muffins: banana, zucchini, carrot or oatmeal bread, bran muffins, etc.
• Other fruit-based desserts:  fruit and yogurt parfaits, strawberries, raisins, cherries, etc.
• Nabisco 100 calorie packs (Wheat Thins, Chees Nips, Chips Ahoy, Oreo)
• Quaker Multigrain Minis (Honey Graham, Cinnamon Sugar)
• Nutrigrain Bars
• Pretzels (low salt is better)
• Bagels (whole grain is better)
• Tortilla roll-ups: meat and cream cheese and salsa, etc. (cut into finger-size pieces)