National School Lunch Week: Not Your Mom’s School Lunch

Things have changed a lot and since most of us ate a school lunch.  Even though they might still get a bad rap sometimes, school lunches have to meet dietary guidelines. 

No more than 30 % of a child’s calories can come from fat and less than ten percent from saturated fat.  The lunches also have to provide one third of the recommended dietary allowances for protein, vitamins a and c, calcium, iron and calories.

There was an “All Star Lunch” at the schools at Savannah High today as students celebrate National School Lunch Week.

Hundreds of students line up for school lunch at the Savannah High cafeteria each day and they have choices for their mid-day meal.

“I chose a salad really because I eat, well, I’m not going to say I eat pizza every day, but I eat it almost every day and sometimes I try to make healthier choices,” says sophomore, Lajaya Moss.

“If you have healthy choices it could help you during the rest of the day, like if you have a good breakfast and if you get something good at lunch then it will help you the rest of your day with your classes,“ adds Shayla Fann, a freshman.

Freshman, Shayla Fann decided on a burger today…under the wrapper, a whole wheat bun.  All bread and pasta products are whole wheat in the schools now.

She also had to have the apple.

“I like always have fruit in my lunch because if I want something else, I know I’ve got something healthy to eat with it,” says Fann.

As students come through the lunch line, they’re not just getting a slice of pizza or a burger.  They’re encouraged to get all 5 food groups; a fruit, a vegetable, milk, grain and meat, making it a well rounded meal.

“A balanced meal will help a student to concentrate, study habits are developed as well as their physical,“ says TaQuita Dubard, the nutritionist at the schools at Savannah High.

School nutrition workers say if students develop healthy habits now, they’ll keep them for life, passing them on to their own children and repeating the cycle.

All of the milk is 1% while all of the fruit juices are 100% juice.

Do you need some healthy snack or meal suggestions?  Click here for the Move It! section of our website.