New School Lunch Guidelines will mean some changes in Fayette County

From WKYT 27 News First
Reporter: Stacy Ellison
Posted: Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Link: Fresh is Best
 
In cafeterias across Fayette County you'll find salads, two fresh fruits and two canned fruits offered daily. Nutrition director, Michelle Coker, says Kentucky has been proactive in making school lunches healthier for kids.

"When I came 7 years ago, many of these practices were already in place", Coker says.
So new federal guidelines requiring lunchrooms to offer foods with less fat, less sodium, more whole grains, and more fruits and veggies won't mean big changes.

But one change will be made and it could mean big bucks for the Fayette County's nutrition budget. Starting next year, kids will have to take a fruit or vegetable when buying a school lunch. Now, it's optional.

Coker says, "If we have 800 kids eating we may have only prepared 500 servings of fruits and veggies knowing not everyone will take one. But now, if every child has to take it we've got to prepare 800 servings. And that's fine. But if kids aren't eating it and throwing it away we've got to do some education".

Coker says that education is already underway at the elementary level. Several programs are in place that teach students about healthy eating. In those schools, Coker says there is an increase in the number of kids taking and eating more fruits and vegetables. Similiar program will be implemented next year at the middle school and high school levels.

Coker understands offering healthy foods is one thing. Getting students to eat them is quite another. So ,along with the fruits, vegetables, and whole grains offered in cafeterias you will also find pizza and chips for sale. Coker says the key is finding a balance. The right combination of foods that provide a balanced diet and keep the budget balanced as well.

The new policy will be implemented at the beginning of the next school year. Schools will receive an additional 6 cents per meal in federal funding or adhering to the new guidelines.
The district will asses the cost of following the guidelines before the school year begins to determine if the costs of school lunches will be increased.

With a 16 million dollar school lunch budget in Fayette County, menu improvements will contribute to a 6 cent increase per meal, as well as, 5 cent increases per carton of 100% juice.

Fayette County is really trying to promote the benefits of healthy eating to the school children: Mind, Power, Energy, and Strength!