Why buy lunch at school?
District 65 serves a nutritious every day. Lunches are prepared with care, and menus follow dietary guidelines, offering children a number of choices every day. School lunches cost less than bringing an equally nutritious lunch from home. They are a convenient and easy way for families to ensure that their child(ren) have a safe and economical meal each and every school day.
Are school meals nutritious?
School meals are well-balanced, healthy meals that are required to meet science-based, federal nutrition standards.
- No more than 30% of calories can come from fat, less than 10% from saturated fat
- Meals must provide 1/3 of Recommended Dietary Allowances of protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium
- School meals are served in age-appropriate portion sizes
Every School Lunch Includes five great choices that add up to a great value:
- Milk – Fat free or 1% – flavored or regular
- Vegetables – From sweet potatoes to fresh carrot sticks
- Fruit – Everything from kiwi to locally grown apples; often fresh
- Grains – More whole grain items like rolls or sandwich bread
- Meat or meat alternate –White meat chicken, lean beef and turkey
Are school meals safe?
School nutrition professionals care for the children they serve, and through strict food safety procedures and staff training, school nutrition professionals maintain a superior safety record while providing nutritious meals to millions of children each day. Some of the steps schools take to ensure their meals are safe include:
- Taking at least two internal temperatures from each batch of food being cooked
- Maintaining records of cooking, cooling, and reheating temperatures in the food preparation process – the basis for periodic reviews of the overall food safety program
- Prechilling all salad ingredients to help maintain cold food temperatures
- Heated transfer carts for transporting food
Why should I encourage my children to eat school meals?
Providing students their choice of milk, fruits and vegetables, grains and proteins, school meals are a great value and a huge convenience for busy parents. School cafeterias offer students a variety of healthy choices and help children learn how to assemble a well-balanced meal. Parents can rest assured that there’s no super-sizing in school cafeterias because federal regulations require schools to serve age-appropriate portions.
Don't school meals contain processed foods?
What have become known as “processed foods” are increasingly being prepared with healthier ingredients, as well as less fat, sodium and sugar.
- Pizzas are increasingly made with whole grain crusts, low-sodium sauce and reduced fat cheese.
- French fries are without trans fat and baked instead of fried
Vending machines are not operated by Food & Nutrition Services and are not available to students in elementary schools.
What are the beverage options with school meals?
- School nutrition programs offer fat free or low-fat milk 1% (flavored or regular) with each meal. School meals offer flavored milk as an option because experts agree that to ensure intake of calcium, vitamin D, protein and other nutrients important for growth and development, it is better for children and adolescents to drink flavored milk than to avoid milk altogether.
- Federal law prohibits the sale of soda in the cafeteria during the school lunch period. State and local regulations may further prohibit the sale of soda before or after the lunch period or in other locations on the school campus.
- Drinking water is available at fountains in the cafeteria area.
How can parents get involved in school meals programs?
Getting involved in school meals programs is easy. Start with these easy steps:
- Review cafeteria menus with your child and be encouraging about trying new menu items. Try new foods – especially fruits and vegetables – at home and your child may be more willing to try these foods at school.
- Introduce yourself to the school nutrition staff at your child’s school. They can answer questions or concerns about everything from product offerings to meal preparation methods to waiting time in line.
Who prepares menus and where are they available?
The Director of Food and Nutrition Services, a registered dietitian and school nutrition specialist with the assistance experienced staff members write the school meal menus.
How do students pay for lunch?
Families may either pay cash or use the WinSNAP program for prepaid lunches.
How does the WinSNAP program work?
Prpayments are made into a student’s individual lunch account. Elementary and middle school students access their accounts by presenting their bar coded student ID card to the lunchroom cashier. Middle school students input their personal ID number into a keypad at the register. The account can be used to purchase lunch and a la carte items. If the account is for lunch only, families must indicate MEALS ONLY in the memo portion of the check and on the prepayment form.
What are the advantages of prepayment?
Prepayment improves lunchtime efficiency. Students can pass through the lines faster, giving them more time to eat. Because all students who prepay use the same method for entering their ID number, there is no identification of whether the student is paying full price or receiving a subsidy. And, because there is no cash, prepayment also helps to ensure that students use their lunch money to purchase lunch.
How can I establish an account?
To establish a line of credit, please complete the prepayment form (available at school). Send the form and a check (payable to District 65 Food Services) to school with your student. Please list the student’s name and PIN (ID number) on the check. If payment is received before lunch or on the lunch line, the student will be able to use the funds that same day.
Elementary school students are instructed to give the forms and checks to their teacher when school starts. Middle school students are instructed to take their prepayments to the kitchen manager before school or pay while purchasing on the line.
What happens when the account has a negative balance?
The food service cashier will alert the student when their account is low and give them a prepayment form to take home and return the next day with money for the account. Up to two "loan lunches" are provided for students who forget their lunch money. The negative balance in their account will be deducted from a future payment.
Negative Balance Policy: Food Service staff will review a negative balance report after money has been entered at the start of each day at the elementary schools and Bessie Rhodes Magnet School and at the cashier for middle schools and King Lab Magnet School. We will do our best to extend two meal credits to students. The amount owed will be deducted from future payments. Negative balances should be paid immediately.
NSF CHECK POLICY: District 65 Food Service will Assess a $15.00 Charge for Any Check Returned for Insufficient Funds
May students use cash to purchase meals?
Yes, cash may be used. However, the district encourages use of the prepayment plan.
May students who receive free or reduced-price meals bring a lunch from home?
Students may bring a lunch from home. Please note, however, according to Federal guidelines, if a child is eligible for Free or Reduced price meals and brings a lunch from home, there is a$.60 charge for milk when milk is purchased without taking the complete meal.
Can the names of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meal benefits be released to staff members not directly involved with the feeding or supervision of a student's education or members of the public?
No. Parents must give their permission for this information to be released. There is a box on the free/reduced price application that parents can check to give their permission for the release of this information.
Want to learn more about the school breakfast and lunch program, payments, or about school lunch for field trips?
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