Child Nutrition Services

Wake Ahead of State in the Implementation of Healthier Nutrition Standards

In August 2005, the NC General Assembly passed nutrition standards for foods served to students in grades K-5. A pilot of 132 elementary schools was partially funded to allow them to voluntarily meet the standards and determine what financial impact the standards would have on the self-supporting Child Nutrition programs.  At the end of five months, these schools lost $300,000 and were unable to afford the expensive healthier choices in the legislation.  The General Assembly postponed the implementation date until state funding could be provided to offset the losses.  However, two sessions of the General Assembly have come and gone, and the state’s nutrition standards are still not funded.
The implementation scheduled for July 2008 is now postponed until 2010.  State standards for middle and high schools are expected to follow once elementary school implementation has occurred. 
Wake County implemented many of the standards over the past ten years and had only a few to implement to be compliant with the state legislation.  Wake County has implemented many of the K-5 standards at middle and high schools as well.  Below are the state standards that Wake County meets even though the implementation date continues to be moved back. 

• When averaged over the week, reimbursable meals will contain:
  • 20 - 35% of calories from fat
• no more than 10% total calories from saturated fat
• no more than 100 mg of cholesterol
• Food preparation methods are limited to baking, roasting, broiling, boiling, and steaming.
• A minimum of 1 daily serving a whole grain products will be offered; whole grain foods will be increased gradually to a minimum of 8 servings per week as market availability of whole grain products increases to supply menu needs.
• Four fruits and/or vegetables will be offered daily.
  • Dark green, deep yellow or orange fruits or vegetables will be offered 3 or more times per week.
  • Fresh fruits or vegetables will be offered at least 4 times weekly at breakfast and/or lunch.
• Legumes will be offered at least 1 time per week.
• All milk choices will be 1% or less fat.

Steps taken to improve the healthy choices in the cafeterias of Wake County schools:

More than 10 years ago:
Stopped frying in elementary schools.
Stopped replacing fryers in middle schools.
Began participating in the DOD Fresh Produce Program.

More than 5 years ago:
Removed whole milk in all schools.
Replaced white sandwich bread and dinner rolls with whole wheat.            
Replaced pizza dough with whole grain pizza dough.
Focused on changes in K-5 schools:
Removed sugary snacks.
Began using low-fat, reduced sugar cake mixes and school baked desserts.
Removed sugary fruit drinks.
Began substituting baked chips for regular chips in middle and high school vending machines.
Began nutritional analysis of student lunches as consumed over a month in March and October annually. 

Within the past 5 years:
Removed 2% milk in all schools.
Formed the NC Farm-to-School program with other school districts. (4.6 million servings of FFV during 2009-10)
Brought K-5 a la carte choices in line with the Alliance For A Healthier Generation guidelines.    
Expanded healthy snack choices in middle and high schools.
Removed sugary fruit drinks in middle and high schools:                        
Only 100% fruit juice and water in middle schools.
20oz Gatorade in high schools changed to 12oz bottles.
Removed transfats from food items.

Increased fresh produce within the Farm-to-school program.
Replaced white hamburger buns and hoagie rolls with  their 100% whole wheat counterparts.
Provide only vended snack items that are less than 200 calories and are single serving packages.
Reduced sodium level in recipes and in food specifications of pre-prepared items.

This Year :
Flavored milk now has half the added sugar and no high fructose corn syrup added. All milk choices are skim milk. Along with the flavored milk unflavored milk is still available daily.

Challenges:
Food sales in other parts of the school, fundraisers, etc are not controlled.  There is no oversight of the foods brought from home for classroom activities.  School stores and concession stands are not consistently offering healthy choices. 
Healthy choices often cost more. (ex: 1 serving of applesauce is 11¢ and an apple is 22¢).