Nutrition Services Division Management Bulletin |
|||
Policy |
Action Required |
|
|
| To: All Child Nutrition Programs |
Number: USDA-CNP-04-2008 |
||
| Attention: Food Service Director |
Date: February 2008 |
||
| Subject: Incorporating the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans into School Meals |
|||
| Reference: United States Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Policy Memo, SP-04-2008 | |||
This Management Bulletin (MB) transmits information from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) encouraging all sponsors to begin implementing the applicable recommendations of the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) into the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP).
Currently, the USDA is contracting with the Institute of Medicine to provide recommendations that will update meal patterns and nutrition requirements for the NSLP and SBP that are based on the 2005 DGAs. The USDA estimates that once a cooperative agreement has been signed it may take 18 to 24 months to develop such recommendations at which time the USDA will begin the formal rulemaking process to incorporate these recommendations into regulation.
The USDA encourages School Food Authorities to begin a proactive, yet gradual implementation of the 2005 DGAs, providing an adequate opportunity for students to develop tastes for these new food items and to allow time for food service operations to modify recipes and research new food products. Implementation of the 2005 DGAs is recommended regardless of the menu planning option used.
The following summarizes the recommendations of the 2005 DGAs as outlined in the USDA memoranda. Please reference the complete USDA memoranda following this MB for a detailed explanation:
- Increase the amount and variety of whole grain products offered to students, progressing toward a goal of making half (50 percent) of all grains offered and served whole grains.
- Increase the availability and servings of both fruits and vegetables within the school meal programs. In the NSLP, provide meals that offer both a fruit and a vegetable option daily, regardless of the menu planning option.
- Offer only low-fat (1 percent or less) and fat-free milk in the school meals programs for all children over the age of two.
- Reduce sodium incrementally with a long-term goal of meeting the 2005 DGAs recommendation of less than 2300 milligrams of sodium per day.
- Plan school meals to provide fiber at the levels appropriate for each age/grade group reflecting the 2005 DGAs recommendation of 14 grams of fiber per 1,000 calories consumed.
- Plan school meals that, on average over a school week, provide less than 100 milligrams cholesterol for lunch and less than 75 milligrams cholesterol for breakfast for all age/grade groups.
- Plan school meals that minimize trans fats.
The USDA Food and Nutrition Services is in the process of developing technical assistance tools to further assist schools in meeting the 2005 DGAs. These tools will be distributed as soon as they are finalized.
If you have any questions regarding this MB, please contact the CACFP specialist assigned to your agency in the Child Nutrition Information Payment System (CNIPS). You will find a list of contact information for specialists in the Download Forms section of the CNIPS. You may also contact the Help Desk by phone at 800-952-5609, option 6.
Attachment
USDA Policy Memo SP-04-2008 (PDF)
