Did you know that school lunches are nutritionally superior to lunches from home?  Researchers from Eastern Michigan University found that school lunches have less fat and more low fat dairy products, fruits, and vegetables than lunches from home.

School lunches offered foods in age-appropriate portion sizes and featured a variety of foods.  School lunches served through the National School Lunch Program meet federal nutrition standards consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In a school lunch, no more than 30% of calories can come from fat, less than 10% from saturated fat, and meals must also provide 1/3 of Recommended Dietary Allowances of protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium.

Resources:

For more information about school lunches, visit www.schoolnutrition.org
Contact the EMU Human Nutrition and Dietetics Program at 734/487-4096.

This is a really good article for parents on packing healthy lunches and helping kids make good lunch choices if they are purchasing a school lunch.

From the Michigan Department of Education, this site has links to information on Michigan’s school lunch program, the National school lunch program, lunch information by district, as well as contacts for parents if they need more information.