This post is brought to you by Tyson. All opinions are my own.
When I was growing up, I bought lunch everyday at school. With no one to monitor my food choices, I often enjoyed a meal of french fries (or tater tots) and a can of soda. On Friday I would switch things up with a slice of pizza … but there was never a piece of fruit or a vegetable on my lunch tray.
Now that I’m a mom, I make a serious effort to make sure that my daughter eats a nutritious lunch. We go back and forth with buying at school and taking a packed lunch from home, but the goal is always the same — lunch needs to be healthy.
A lot has changed in 15 years with the school lunch program. In 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was passed, allowing the USDA to set nutrition standards for all foods served in schools. The new standards align school meals with the latest nutrition science – ultimately doing what’s right for our children’s health.
The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids act, which went into effect at the beginning of the 2012-13 school year, makes sure all foods served fall into these USDA specific guidelines–
- Ensuring students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week
- Substantially increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods
- Offering only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties
- Limiting calories based on the age of children being served to ensure proper portion size
- Increasing the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat, trans fats and sodium
Tyson is Committed to Providing Nutritionally Balanced School Meals
I’m happy with the guidelines because I know that, without even seeing the school lunch menu, my daughter will have access to a variety of fruits, veggies and whole grain-rich foods. For kid-favorites, Tyson has developed new and modified existing products to meet the new standards. Breaded chicken, for example, is now coated in whole grains and is lower in sodium.
Here’s a look at some of Tyson’s healthy school cafeteria food choices:
- Whole grain nuggets
- Pepperoni Crispito
- Whole grain hamburger
- Lighter better nugget
- Hot’n’spicy grilled breast filet
- Chicken pepperoni
Since I occasionally serve Tyson products at home, I know of their quality and nutrition .. Plus, my daughter loves the taste of their chicken tenders. For the days that my daughter buys lunch in the cafeteria, I’m glad that a well-known brand like Tyson is at the forefront of bringing nutritious food to our kids.
For more information on how Tyson is bringing more to the table with healthier foods in schools, visit http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/fuel-school and http://www.tysonfoodservice.com/K12.
Do your children buy lunch at school?
