The federal government has outlined new regulations for school lunch menus. Channel 8's Kim Jackson explains what students and parents can expect.
Students will now have a choice of whole grain bread each day. But at the same time, it is mandatory for them to have to have a fruit or a vegetable.
At the Ross School bakery, cooks are making bread--to serve students next week. It is all made of whole grain, and that is a new requirement from the federal government.
"We've known these changes were coming so we have been working toward them the past few years. The biggest change students will see this year is that they have to have a fruit or vegetable before they leave the line," said Morgan Peaden, who is a nutrition educator for Tulsa Public Schools.
Some believe that tomato sauce counts as a veggie--but that is not the case here.
"No, we do not count tomato sauce on pizza or spaghetti. Our vegetable will be a side item," said Peaden.
These changes are nothing new. But now with limitations on certain items, from the bread department, students may not enjoy the cookies or desserts that have sweetened the meal deal, for years.
"The amount of grains we can have is limited so we have to figure out if we can still fit dessert in with that," said Peaden.
So students will have to wait on the sweetest part. Still, they will have choices. They don't have to choose everything that is offered. But they won't leave the lunch line without their fruits and veggies. And this is something they'd like not just for kids. but mom's and dads.
"With half your plate with fruits and vegetables making grains whole grains, choosing low fat protein and drinking low fat milk," said Peaden.
The goal is to make it healthy and still kid friendly. Those are changes for the lunch program. The breakfast program will see changes next year.
John Ross Bakery
