February 8, 2012
Vol 14
July 13, 2011
No 6
Vol 13 No 28
Wentzville School District Continues to Make Meals Healthier as New USDA Standards are Announced
New Nutrition Standards
IN this Issue
Students in the Wentzville School District will see additional changes to their school menus as the District continues its effort to move towards healthier options in its cafeterias. The changes are due in part to new national standards under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act signed into law last year. New standards under the law were announced on January 25 by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). “The new nutrition standards for school meals are great news for our kids,” said Wentzville Child Nutrition Director Susan Raster. “They will help nutrition professionals build on the work we are already doing to provide more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthier entrees in our school cafeterias.” The new standards require all districts to: • Ensure students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week • Substantially increase offerings of whole grain-rich foods • Offer only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties • Limit calories based on the age of children being served to ensure proper portion size • Increase the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat, trans fats and sodium The USDA is allowing school districts three years to phase in these changes, beginning with the 2012-2013 school year. The Wentzville School District has already made proactive changes over the past year in anticipation of the federal mandates. Among those changes already in place in WSD cafeterias: • Fresh fruits and vegetables are served every day • Only 1% or fat free milk is served • Sandwiches are served on whole wheat bread • Cafeterias have introduced lower sodium entrees • Salads are offered every day with vi-
tamin-packed romaine/spring mix and spinach • Only milk, water, and 100% fruit juices are offered • Oven fries and baked sweet potato fries are served in lieu of fried fries • Pizza is made with whole wheat crust, reduced sodium sauce and low fat cheese • Nachos are made with baked chips, reduced fat and reduced sodium taco meat, low fat cheese and beans Additional menu changes are planned for next year, including larger portion sizes of fruits and salads, more whole grain bread options and foods with lower sodium content. “Over the next few months, we’ll be building on the progress we’ve made and planning our menus for next school year to meet these new nutrition guidelines,” Raster said. “We know how important it is to encourage students to accept and consume these healthier options. Our school nutrition staff has found great ways to get students excited about healthy food choices and we’ll continue to work on creative solutions to ensure healthy foods appeal to students.” The following initiatives are already in place to support the transition to healthier meals in WSD schools: • A Farm-to-School program that brings fresh, local produce into cafeterias
Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5 Lincoln County Life . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
while teaching students about what foods are grown in their communities • The District hosts student taste tests to get feedback directly from students and get them involved in the menu planning process • Additional fresh fruits and vegetables are available to District students • Students are also offered free samples
of fresh fruits, vegetables, and entrees to encourage them to try something new “We hope parents will support this effort by encouraging their students to give the healthier meals a try,” Raster said. “Students are far more likely to pick up a fruit or vegetable in the lunch line if they have been introduced to those foods at home.”
MOVIE PEEK
School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Shelly Schneider / Recipe . . . . . . . 10
See MOVIE page 9
“Big Miracle” - Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
Joe Morice / Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 What’s Happening . . . . . . . . . . . 12-13 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-15
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