ISU is very unique in that it has several lab schools on its campus. There is a grade school as well as a high school. These are places where a lot of research goes into the education system. This past week I had the opportunity to help analyze the menu for metcalf elementary school.
Grade schools are under strict regulations on the bare minimum amount of nutrients that must be provided. If these standards are not met, not only is the school not reimbursed but the government issues a citation.
To get reimbursed the child must take a fruit or vegetable along with two of the following options milk, grain, or a meat. They've just recently changed the requriement for veggies and are now recquiring a weekly serving of a variety of types of veggies including dark green, orange, legumes, starchy, and other vegetables. The big question that came up is how in the world are they going to get the kids to eat a 1/2 cup of legumes.
To analyze their menu - we plugged everything into CBORD and started checking the averages/week of calories, Ca, Fe, vit A, vit C, and % of fat. It was quite the task to find foods kids would eat to help meet those rquirements. My lifesaver was a brownie that contributed 1.6 mg of Fe. That bumped my average up!
Another challenge was finding a different type of veggies that fit those specific requirements. The sad thing is the school has to serve those but they will most likely end up in the garbage. To combat this I strongly believe that it is the parents responsibility to introduce these veggies and help kids learn to like them. The school can only do so much.
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