Area School Districts Consider School Meal Changes If USDA Proposals Pass

Posted Date: 03/16/2023

Although pancakes and waffles are not leaving school breakfast menus any time soon, proposed changes to the National School Meal Program’s nutritional regulations may make some other cafeteria staples a thing of the past.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced in February that it was seeking feedback through April 10 on proposed changes to the National School Meal Program.

Among the suggested revisions is a reduction of school meals' sodium levels by 30% by the fall of 2029 and requiring added sugar to account for less than 10% of the total calories served per week for breakfast and lunch by the fall of 2027.

However, several area school districts' child nutrition programs are questioning just how helpful the proposed changes will be.

Citing the sodium content in biscuits, breakfast sausage, bacon, eggs and certain processed cereals such as Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Lucky Charms, Union Child Nutrition Director Lisa Griffin, said the proposed restrictions would mean her district would have to make some substantive changes to its breakfast menu in order to keep its meals’ sodium levels in compliance should the new regulations take effect.

“Those are all high sodium foods, and they’re breakfast foods,” Griffin said. “We’ll still be able to have waffles and pancakes, but we could not use syrup or jam. We’d have to look at serving it with a fruit sauce instead. We’ll have to get creative.”

See Tulsa World story.