This fall, all Duneland school cafeterias will be implementing new meal pattern guidelines for school lunches. The new guidelines ensure that meals are healthy, well balanced and provide students the nutrition they need to succeed at school. School meals currently offer students milk, fruits and vegetables, proteins and grains, but now school meals have strict limits on saturated fat and portion size. Beginning this school year, school lunches will meet new standards requiring:
- Age-appropriate calorie limits.
- Larger servings of vegetables and fruits (students must take at least one serving of produce) wider variety of vegetables, including dark green, red/orange vegetables and legumes.
- Fat-free or 1% milk (flavored milk must be fat-free).
- More whole grains.
- Less sodium (Although the regulation for sodium reduction in school lunches does not go into effect until the 2014-2015 school year, our cafeterias will gradually begin to implement this guideline over the next couple of years.)
Applying the new meal pattern guidelines to our menus will help provide your child/ren a high quality, nutritious lunch. We always strive to offer Duneland students’ healthier and delicious choices. Over the summer several facility changes have been made, particularly at Chesterton High School. When the high school was built, the cafeteria was designed to imitate the fast food industry. Students will be pleasantly surprised when they enter the cafeteria this school year. They will see a new clean look, along with fresh and healthy school meals.
School meals are a great value and continue to be a significant convenience for busy families. Meal costs are: Grades K-6 Breakfast -$1.35, Grades 7-12 Breakfast - $1.50, Reduced Breakfast $0.30, Grades K-6 Lunch – $2.25, Grades 7-12 Lunch $2.45, Adult Lunch $3.10. Parents can prepay online using mypaymentsplus.com, or at school by using a check or cash.
Now is the perfect time to encourage your child/ren to choose school lunch. We look forward to welcoming your children to the cafeteria this school year. Find out more about Duneland’s healthy school meals at www.duneland.k12.in.us.
Wishing you and your child/ren good health and much success for a GREAT 2012-2013 school year!