NSLPLUNCH

MEAL PATTERN

THE REQUIREMENTS

2

MEET THE FOLLOWING IN EACH AGE/GRADE GROUP

–OFFER THE REQUIRED 5 COMPONENTS

–MEET MINIMUM DAILY & WEEKLY COMPONENT AMOUNTS

–MEET WEEKLY VEGETABLE ‘SUBCOMPONENT’ AMOUNTS

–MEET CALORIC RANGE REQUIREMENTS

–MEET SODIUM REQUIREMENTS

–MEET FAT REQUIREMENTS

AGE / GRADE GROUPS

3

Quantities Required to Offer

Food ComponentsAges1-2

Ages3-4

GradesK-5

Grades6-8

Grades9-12

Menus must meet the requirements of the AGE/GRADE GROUP that you intend to offer meals to.

THE LUNCH MEAL PATTERN AGE/GRADE GROUPS

AGE / GRADE GROUPS

4

Quantities Required to Offer

Food ComponentsAges1-2

Ages 3-4

GradesK-5

Grades6-8

Grades9-12

K – 8

There is an allowance for the creation of a K-8 grade group by combining the K-5 and 6-8 grade group.

When choosing this option it is important to remember that calories and sodium requirements must be met at the more restrictive level.

THE COMPONENTS

5

THE LUNCH MEAL PATTERN

CONSISTS OF 5 COMPONENTS:

1.Meat/ Meat Alternative (MMA)

2.Grains

3.Vegetables

4.Fruits

5.Milk

MMA COMPONENT

6

GRAINS COMPONENT

7

GRAINS COMPONENT

8

• ALL GRAINS OFFERED DURING THE SCHOOL WEEK MUST MEET THE WHOLE GRAIN-RICH CRITERIA.

– Foods that qualify as whole grain-rich for the school meal programs are foods that contain 100-percent whole grain or contain a blend of whole-grain meal and/or flour and enriched meal and/or flour of which at least 50-percent is whole grain.

– Whole grain-rich products must contain at least 50-percent whole-grains and the remaining grain, if any, must be enriched.

GRAINS cont’d

9

GRAINS COMPONENT

10

• GRAIN BASED DESSERTS MAY BE OFFERED HOWEVER THEY MAY NOT EXCEED 2 OZ EQ

OF WGR GRAIN PER WEEK

VEGETABLE COMPONENT

11

Quantities Required to Offer

Food Components

Ages1-2

Ages 3-4

GradesK-5

Grades6-8

Grades9-12

Specific Requirements:

Vegetable ¾ cupevery day

1 cup every day

No more than ½ of the total weekly requirement may be met with 100%

full-strength vegetable juice.

Dark Green

1/2 cupeither or

1/2 cupeither or

½ cup/week ½ cup/week

In grades K-12 the vegetable subgroups need to be offered

throughout the week. The amounts listed here are the minimum amount

that must be offered during the week.

Red/Orange ¾ cup/week 1 ¼ cups/week

Beans/Peas ½ cup/week ½ cup/week

Starchy ½ cup/week ½ cup/week

Other ½ cup/week ¾ cup/week

FRUIT COMPONENT

12

Quantities Required to Offer

Food ComponentsAges1-2

Ages3-4

GradesK-5

Grades6-8

Grades9-12

Specific Requirements:

Fruit ½ cupevery day

½ cupevery day

1 cup every day

No more than ½ of the total weekly requirement may be met with 100%

full-strength fruit juice.

ALLOWANCE HAS BEEN GIVEN TO OFFER FROZEN FRUITS WITH ADDED SUGAR

MILK COMPONENT

13

Quantities Required to Offer

Food ComponentsAges1-2

Ages3-4

GradesK-5

Grades6-8

Grades9-12

Specific Requirements:

Milk(Fluid offered as beverage)

¾ cup (6 fl. oz) ½ pt (8 fl. oz)

In grades K-12, fluid milk must be 1% unflavored, or fat free flavored or

unflavored.

2 DIFFERENT MILK CHOICES MUST BE OFFERED

CALORIC RANGEREQUIREMENTS

14

BASED ON A 5 DAY AVERAGE

SODIUM REQUIREMENT

15

Quantities Required to Offer

SODIUM REQUIREMENTGrades

K-5Grades

6-8Grades

9-12Specific Requirements:

Sodium (maximum average per week) 1230mg 1360mg 1420mgK-8 group sodium max =

1230mg.

BASED ON A 5 DAY AVERAGE

FAT RESTRICTIONS

16

• CALORIES FROM SATURATED FAT MUST NOT EXCEED 10% OF CALORIES

• ONLY ZERO TRANS FAT IS ACCEPTABLE

BASED ON A 5 DAY AVERAGE

17

THE LUNCH MEAL PATTERN

QUESTIONS ?

18