FAQs
-
What is the goal of our meal program?
Posted by:Our goal is to serve nutritious meals in a friendly, clean and caring environment.
-
Do all schools serve breakfast?
Posted by:Breakfast is served in all the elementary schools, junior high schools and senior high schools.
-
How can students receive free or reduced meals?
Posted by:Students who qualify, by completing a new educational benefits application each school year, may receive free or reduced priced meals. Applications are available here on this site and in each school office during the school year. A reduced breakfast is free and a reduced lunch is also free. If you fill out an application and you indicate: homeless, foster children/child, MFIP, or food stamp participation, you will automatically be approved.
-
What guidelines are used to plan menus?
Posted by:District 742 participates in the National School Breakfast and National School Lunch program and follows the guidelines provided by the USDA for those programs. The USDA guidelines translate to increased whole grains, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and lower sodium, fat, and cholesterol.
-
What are the school breakfast meal pattern requirements?
Posted by:Breakfast Meal Pattern:
Fruit or vegetable (one-half cup)
Two servings bread/bread alternate, or two ounces meat/meat alternate or one serving bread and one ounce meat
Fluid milk (one-half pint) -
Can schools serve any foods they want?
Posted by:Menus must meet federal school lunch requirements. Meals must provide one-third of the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) for key nutrients and calories.
-
Do students have to take a complete lunch?
Posted by:District 742 Schools follow the USDA Offer vs. Serve provision as part of the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. Offer vs. Serve is a provision that allows students to decline either one or two food items they do not intend to eat. This provision is intended to reduce food waste in school nutrition programs. Schools must offer all students all required food items.
-
What varieties of milk do you offer?
Posted by:Skim, Lowfat Chocolate, 1% and Lactose-Reduced milk are offered daily.
-
Is Lactose-Reduced milk available?
Posted by:Lactose-reduced milk can be requested by a parent/guardian with a written request. Cooks order lactose-reduced milk on an as-needed basis. Note: substituting juice for milk requires a medical statement"
-
Who determines the portion size of the school meals?
Posted by:(USDA) The United Stated Department of Agriculture determines the portions by age group to better meet the food and nutritional needs of children. These servings are designed to give children at each age level 1/3 of their daily nutritional requirement at lunch.
-
Does your lunch meat or yogurt contain pork? What about other menu items?
Posted by:Yogurt: A common question we are asked is whether the yogurt contains a gelatin made with pork by-product. Upstate Farms (kosher) yogurt is the brand we serve and contains NO gelatin.
Baked Beans: Vegetarian baked beans do not contain any meat products or meat-by-products.
Smoked Turkey: Sometimes confused with ham because of the color - looks similar. Smoked turkey contains NO pork or pork-by-products.
Sun Chips: We serve Original and French Onion Sun Chips which Frito Lay has documented as pork-free.
Go-Gurt: Documented from General Mills – the gelatin is made with beef and NO pork by-products.
Pizza Toppings: We use chicken or turkey pepperoni and sausage and contains NO pork.
Breakfast Sausage: We serve turkey or chicken breakfast sausage and contains NO pork. -
Who do I contact if I have questions or concerns about the new school meal nutritional guidelines?
Posted by:To share comments or concerns about the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, please contact your elected United States Congressional Representatives. You can find out who represents you in Washington DC at www.whoismyrepresentative.com
Comments can also be sent to the United Stated Department of Agriculture, Office of Research, Analysis, Communications and Strategic Support.