Incorporating the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Into School Meals

1. Incorporating the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for AmericansInto School Meals

2. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) serve as the foundation for national nutrition policies. This includes the meal patterns and nutrient standards of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) school meals programs.

3. 2004 Reauthorization Act • The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 amended section 9(a) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to require that the Secretary issue guidance to increase the consumption of foods and food ingredients that are recommended for increased serving consumptionin the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

4. LEAs are encouraged to begin proactively implementing the applicable recommendations of the 2005 DGAs within the current meal pattern requirements and nutrition standards. Gradual implementation will provide an opportunity for students to develop a taste for new items and/or modified recipes.

5. New/Revised Recommendations • Increase Whole Grains • Increase Fruits and Vegetables • Serve only low-fat/non-fat Dairy • Products • Reduce Sodium • Increase Fiber • Reduce Cholesterol • Minimize Trans-Fats

6. WHOLE GRAINS LEAs are encouraged to: Increase the amount and variety of whole grain products offered to students Progress toward the goal of making half of all grains offered and served, to be whole grains

7. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES LEAs are encouraged to increase the availability and service of both fruits and vegetables within the school meals programs. LEAs are encouraged to provide meals that offer both a fruit and a vegetable, regardless of the menu planning approach being used for the NSLP.

8. MILK LEAs are encouraged to offer only low-fat (1% or less) and fat-free milk in the school meal programs for all children above the age of two.

9. SODIUM LEAs are strongly encouraged to begin reducing sodium incrementally, with a long-term, step-wise plan for meeting the DGAs recommendation of “consuming less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day”. OSPI – CNS currently has a requirement that LEAs serve no more than 2 mg/kcal.

10. SODIUM, continued The recommended guidelines of serving ¼ of the RDAs for breakfast and 1/3 of the RDAs for lunch, would result in a goal of not more than: 1 mg per kcal

11. FIBER LEAs are encouraged to plan meals that provide fiber at levels appropriate for each age/grade group that reflect the 2005 DGAs recommendations. CNS-OSPI’s current recommendation is one gram/100 kcal

12. FIBER, example The DGA’s recommend 14 grams per 1000 calories. (1.4 g/100 kcals) A school meal planned to meet the nutrition requirements for the Grade IV age/grade group in the Traditional Menu Planning Approach would offer, on average over a school week, at least 11 grams of fiber based on the minimum caloric requirement of 785 calories.

13. CHOLESTEROL The DGAs encourage less than 300 mg per day. In the past, OSPI has recommended no more than 54 mg of cholesterol for breakfast and not more than 72 mg of cholesterol for lunch.

14. CHOLESTEROL, continued 100 mg of cholesterol at lunch 75 mg of cholesterol at breakfast Although, these new recommendations are higher, we feel it is important to be in support of the DGAs and what is recommended on the national level.

15. TRANS FATS LEAs are encouraged to plan meals that minimize Trans fats.

16. Nutrient Targets for Lunch by Grade Groups (* with WA State standards)

17. Nutrient Targets for Lunch by Grade Groups (* with WA State standards)

18. USDA is in the process of developing technical assistance tools that will further assist schools in meeting the 2005 DGAs. OSPI will e-mail them to you once we receive them.