setting the bar: a new standard in school meals

Setting the Bar: A New Standard in School Meals

Ann Cooper, Director of Food ServicesStephen Menyhart, District Manager

BVSD Food ServicesWe believe that all children of the Boulder Valley

School District will have daily access to fresh, flavorful and nutritious food made with

wholesome and when possible local ingredients so that every child may thrive.

www.bvsd.org/food

BVSD Food Services• 52 Schools: 30K Students • 13,000 meals each day • Scratch Cooking• Salad Bars• 3 Production Kitchens• Nearly 200 Staff• ADP up 16% last year in past 4 years

School Food Project -- www.food.bvsd.org

Scratch Cooking is the Centerpiece of Sustainable School Lunch Programs

Our Yearly Local Purchases:50K # Produce

150K # Beef & PoultrySchool Food Project -- www.food.bvsd.org


We Work with over a Dozen Local

Producers Every Year

School Food 101• Meals for $1.20• USDA complete lunch must contain: • 2 oz. of Protein• 2 oz. eq. of Grains• ¾ cup or more Vegetables • ½ cup or more Fresh Fruit • 8 oz. of Milk


• Authorizes all federal child nutrition programs– School Breakfast– National School Lunch– Afterschool Snack and Meal Program– Child and Adult Care Food– Summer Food Service– Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Programs– Special Milk Program– WIC

• January 20th, 2016 – Senate Agriculture Committee passed bill

Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act


Nutrition Guidelines● School Meal Patterns and Nutrition Standards

are derived from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans

● Grain items must all be Whole Grain Rich ● Fruit and Vegetable Requirement, ½ cup on

every tray● Variety of Vegetable subgroups must be offered

weekly - Red/Orange, Dark Green, Beans/ Legumes, Starchy, Other


CN Labels and Product Formulation

The most common manufacturer symbol for use in the School Meals program is a CN Label :

Alternative is a ‘Product Formulation Statement’, submitted directly by the manufacturer to the school district


Additional Nutrition ParametersCalorie Ranges - Breakfast is intended to provide ¼ of daily caloric needs, lunch ⅓ of daily caloric needs. Lunch goals:

550-650 kcals for K-5 600-700 kcals for 6-8750-850 kcals for 9-12

Saturated Fat - < 10% of total calories

Sodium - Lunch maximums currently at <1230 mg for K5, <1360 mg for 6-8, and <1420 mg for 9-12 - more aggressive targets are under evaluation


Sous Chefs Recipe Testing For NSLP Compliance


Recipe Development

• Adapt recipe from internet, cook book, USDA database, grandma’s recipe box

• Weigh and measure all ingredients– AP – As Purchased– EP – Edible Portion

• Total Recipe Yield – weight and volume

• Calculating Contributions– Grain– MMA– Vegetable/Fruit


Ruby Rice Butternut Squash Salad

• GF Ruby Wild Rice Blend• Local Fresh Butternut Squash• Olive/Canola Oil Blend• Feta Cheese• Lemon Juice• Kosher Salt• Black Pepper• Fresh Parsley



AP vs EP

• AP = As Purchased– Quantity need to purchase– Quantity of ingredient to use in recipe

• Accurate serving cost• “Yield Factor Method” will correct for nutrition analysis

• EP = Edible Portion– Quantity to use for calculating contributions

• Use USDA Food Buying Guide or do own yield testing

As Purchased

• Weigh raw whole product


Edible Portion

• Weigh skinned and seeded product


Calculating Produce Yields

• Butternut Squash– 8.25 oz/13.3 oz = .6203– Yield = 62%

• Parsley– .88 oz/1 oz = .88– Yield = 88%


Final Recipe Yield

• Prepare recipe

• Weigh and measure final yield– 1 Quart (32 oz volume)– 1 lb 9.7 oz


Calculating Grain Contributions

• Goal: Calculate what size serving of salad provides 1 grain component

• Recipe Yield = 1 quart, or 32 oz volume

• Grain = 6.4 oz dry rice = 6.4 grain components provided by recipe

• 32 oz vol/6.4 G = 5 oz volume serving size

• One 5 oz scoop provides 1 G


Calculating MMA Contributions

• Goal: Calculate how many MMAs are in one 5 oz serving of grain salad

• MMA = 4 oz feta cheese = 4 MMA components

• 4 MMA/6.4 servings in recipe yield = .625 MMA per 5 oz serving

• Round down to .5 MMA per 5 oz serving


Calculating Veg Contributions

• Goal: Calculate how many Vegetable contributions are in one 5 oz serving of grain salad

• Veg = 8.25 oz or 1.5 cups prepped Butternut Squash = 3/half cup Veg servings

• 1.5 cup/6.4 servings in recipe yield = .23 cups veg/serving

• Round down to 1/8 cup OR rework recipe to hit .25 cups per serving


Tasting Events


School Food Project Website


School Lunch Menu Calendar


Farm to School Education


How We Increase Participation • Fresh, Delicious Food• Marketing and Outreach• Lunchroom Education Programs


BVSD Food Truck:Marketing and Outreach


Social Media & Parent Letters & Volunteers


Community Events: Harvest Festival


Community Events: Market Day


Education: Farm-to-School Programming


Lunchroom Education Programs


Harvest of the Month


Harvest Collector Cards


Poster Art Contents


Partnering with Farmers


Farm Visits & Farm Fresh

Produce on Our Salad Bars!


Farmer Visits


Salad Bar Signs


Salad Bar Toppers


Rainbow Days


Chef Demonstrations


Iron Chef Competitions

Elementary Secondary


School Gardens


Garden As A Classroom


Garden to Cafeteria


Weekend Bags of Food Sent

Home for Food Insecure Families!


Students Eating Delicious Local Food!School Food Project -- www.food.bvsd.org

The Lunchbox: Marketing Tour

http://www.thelunchbox.org/

http://www.thelunchbox.org/marketing/lunchroom-education/