Offer Versus ServeCatrina Peters, MS, RD

School Nutrition Services Manager

Nevada Department of Agriculture

Food and Nutrition Division

November 5th, 2014

Today’s Agenda

• Housekeeping• How to ask a question• Slides will be posted in slideshare, youtube

• Meal Pattern Basics

• Lunch OVS Requirements• OVS Examples

• Breakfast OVS Requirements• OVS Examples

• Resources Available

Offer Versus Serve Success

• Menu planning is the first step• Keeping the number of types of items within components

consistent can help site staff easily identify reimbursable meals

• Extra, non creditable items can make component “counting” more difficult

• Training Site Staff (and Students!) is the second step• Staff must understand what constitutes a reimbursable

meal• Students must also be shown what they can select

Lunch Menu Requirements

• All 5 food components must be offered at lunch

• If using multiple food lines, every line must offer the required 5 food components to all students

• Senior high schools are required to use Offer Versus Serve for lunch

• OVS optional for junior high, middle, and elementary schools• OVS is optional at Breakfast

Offer Versus Serve (OVS) - LUNCH

• Students must be offered all five required components: • meat/meat alternate

• grains

• fruit

• vegetables

• fluid milk

What Can Students Decline?

• Students are allowed to decline two of the five required food components• Must take three components

• One must be a ½ cup of fruit or a vegetable

• How do I communicate this to students?• “Choose three or more, one must be a fruit or vegetable”

• “Choose at least three, one must be a fruit of veggie”

Is this the same as the number of “items” a student must take?

No- if non creditable items are on the menu, they don’t count towards the three components

What About Choices Between Components?

• Choice between components is not the same as OVS

• Example: choice of burrito or pizza, but students must take all other components offered• Not OVS

• Example: Serving students a burrito, milk, vegetable and fruit choice (student must take one) • Not OVS

Can I Do Both OVS and Offer Choices?

• Yes, you can do OVS and offer students choices between components

• Example: If students had a choice of • Pizza or burrito (M/MA and Grain)

• Baby carrots or buttery corn

• Choice of fresh fruit

• Choice of milk Student would only need to select three of the five components:

Pizza & FruitBurrito & CornPizza, Corn and MilkCorn, Fruit and Milk

What About Portion Size?

• If the meat or grain component is offered in two food items to meet minimum quantity, the component is only credited if the student selects the required daily minimum quantity for the grade group• Example: if a pizza slice (1.5 oz) is offered in a high school with a cheese stick

(1 oz eq) both items would need to be taken to count as one component

• Example: If 1/2 cup of pasta (1 oz eq grains) is offered with a breadstick (1 ozeq) in a high school, both items would need to be taken to count as one component

That ½ Cup of Fruit of Vegetable….

• Can it be a combination of two vegetable subgroups?

• Can it be a combination of fruit and vegetable?

What About Signage?

• Students must be able to identify what constitutes reimbursable meal• Near or at the beginning of serving line

• Must have signage even if you aren’t implementing OVS

Now a round of question and answer….

Is this a reimbursable meal? (K-5)

YES: At least 3 components, at least one is a ½ cup fruit or vegetable 13

WGR Mac n Cheese 1 oz M/MA credit

1.0 oz eq grain

3/4 Cup Carrots

1 Apple

1 cup milk

Is this a reimbursable meal? (K-5)

No, only 2 components--M/MA, Vegetable14

1 oz String Cheese

½ Cup Carrots

½ Cup Salad

Is this a reimbursable meal? (k-5)

YES: At least 3 components, at least one is a fruit or vegetable

Sandwich1 oz M/MA

1.0 oz eq grain ½ Cup Pear

½ Cup Salad

Bonus: What if this was a high school?What would we need to consider?

Is this a reimbursable meal? (k-5)

YES: At least 3 components, at least one is a fruit or vegetable

Bonus: What if this was a high school?What would we need to consider?

Is this a reimbursable meal? (k-5)

No, only 2 components--Grain, Vegetable

Breakfast

Offer Versus Serve-Breakfast

• Option for all age/grade groups

• At least four food items must be offered

• A food item is a specific food offered within a component

• Example: Blueberry Muffin, Apple Slices, Orange Juice, Milk

What are the components?What are the items within each component?

3 Components must be offered - Grain, Fruit and Milk

Students must take at least ½ cup of fruit

Minimum quantities of each component must be offered

OVS-Breakfast

Breakfast Menu Requirements

21

Component Grades K-5 Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12

Grain 1 oz equivalent Minimum Daily

7 oz equivalents Minimum Weekly

1 oz equivalent Minimum Daily

8 oz equivalentsMinimum Weekly

1 oz equivalent Minimum Daily

9 oz equivalents Minimum Weekly

Fruit 1 cup Minimum Daily5 cups Minimum

Weekly

1 cup Minimum Daily5 cups Minimum

Weekly

1 cup Minimum Daily5 cups Minimum

Weekly

Milk 1 cup daily 1 cup daily 1 cup daily

Note: Full Strength juice may be offered to meet up to one-half of the weekly requirement

What About Vegetables?

• Vegetables or vegetable juice can be substituted for fruit or fruit juice

• If a starchy vegetable is served, other subgroup minimum quantity must be met

• 2 cups planned for the week must be from the:• Dark green • Red/orange• Beans, peas, legumes• Other vegetable subgroup

What About Substituting Meat/Meat Alternate?

• A meat/meat alternate can be substituted at breakfast for a grain

• At least 1 oz eq of grain must still be offered

• Student does not have to select the grain item in order of the meat/meat alternate to count

• A meat/meat alternate, ½ cup fruit and milk could be a reimbursable meal

“Splitting” Large Items

• Larger items crediting as more than one ounce equivalent, such as a 2 oz equivalent muffin, could credit as 2 items

• At the discretion of menu planner

• Signage must still indicate what constitutes a reimbursable meal

• Example: Menu items offered are muffin (2 oz eq), cereal bowl (1 oz eq), orange slices (1/2 cup), apple juice (1/2 cup) and milk

Student could select the following:Muffin and orange slicesCereal bowl, milk and juiceMuffin, orange slices and milk

Now a round of question and answer….

Is this a reimbursable meal? (K-5)

Yes, three items selected, ½ cup fruit

Is this a reimbursable meal? (9-12)

Yes, three items selected, ½ cup fruit

Is this a reimbursable meal? (k-5)

No, only two items

Is this a reimbursable meal? (K-8)

Yes, three items selected, ½ cup fruit

Bonus: What if this was a high school?

Is this a reimbursable meal? (K-5)

Yes, at least three items selected, ½ cup fruit

Is this a reimbursable meal? (9-12)

Yes, at least three items selected, ½ cup fruit

Is this a reimbursable meal? (k-5)

No—needs ½ fruit

Resourceshttp://www.fns.usda.gov/updated-offer-versus-serve-guidance-national-school-lunch-program-and-school-breakfast-program

• Updated August 2014

http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/guidance-and-resources

Questions?