Meals Leaving Kids Hungry

WAITSBURG - School staff members and administrators are worried students are not getting enough food to fuel their brains because of new fed- eral nutritional guidelines enacted this school year.

Susan Wildey, the food services supervisor for the Waitsburg School District, said the amount of food offered for breakfast and lunch by the district's caf- eterias has been reduced this school year.

The change in nutritional guidelines for all school districts across the country is because of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The legisla- tion authorizes funding and sets policy for United States Department of Ag- riculture's core child nutri- tion programs, according to the act's website.

" The Healthy, Hun- ger-Free Kids Act allows USDA, for the first time in over 30 years, opportunity to make real reforms to the school lunch and breakfast programs by improv- ing the critical nutrition and hunger safety net for millions of children," it says on the site.

The guidelines are being doled out in a tier system, becoming stricter each school year.

This year with the guidelines for 2012-13, Wildey said she has re- ally seen a difference in the amount of food each child gets dished out at breakfast and lunch. The portions have changed because of the amount of milk, meat, vegetables, fruits and grains that are required to be served at each meal. The guidelines also address how many calories, saturated fat, so- dium and trans fat should be allowed in the meals.

The guidelines for fruits and veggies this year means more of those foods for kids than ever before. Also, 50 percent of grains must be whole wheat, Wildey said. Next year, according to the tier system of guidelines, all grains will be whole next school year.

She added the calories allowed are fewer this year and she is worried some children who don't get fed well at home won't get enough food at school either.

"We knew this was coming," she said. "We just didn't know the im- pact until we started dishing out the portions."

For example, a typi- cal lunch for grades 9-12 should include 1 cup of milk, 2 ounces of protein, 1 cup of vegetables, 1 cup of fruit, 2 ounces of grains and 750-850 calories.

Kids are discouraged from sharing their food at meal times and the lunchroom staff members can- not give seconds, Wildey said.

If children want to pur- chase an additional milk, they may. Students in the upper grades can buy an- other meal if they need to.

She said she was shocked last week because to comply with the guidelines, high school students were only allowed to have five chicken nuggets each to meet the 2 ounce protein requirement.

But, the district has to comply with the guidelines or fiscal action will be tak- en, Wildey said. The district gets reimbursed 6 cents a meal if the guidelines are followed, she added.

However, Superinten- dent Dr. Carol Clarke said students and staff mem- bers are unhappy with the new meal offerings.

"Our students are complaining," she said. "I imagine there's a lot of schools facing these chal- lenges. People are frustrated."

Prescott Superintendent Dr. Bill Jordan said he is seeing that same frustration in his schools.

"We are also experi- encing our high school students reporting being hungry after lunch," he said. "The portions sizes have been diminished by federal rules and our food service staff has been reviewing and revising menus to meet the federal guidelines."

Doug Johnson, the superintendent of the Dayton School District, said his food services supervisor has not indicated any issues with the food guidelines in his schools.

To help figure out how to keep the students from going hungry, Clarke said she would reach out to her colleagues to get some ideas.

Waitsburg School Board Member Christy House said she would like a letter to go out to parents in the district explaining the regulations and letting them know to pack extra food with kids if they are coming home hungry.

For more informa- tion about the federal act that put these guidelines in place, visit http:// www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/ governance/legislation/ cnr_ 2010.htm