Quin'yotae Brantley smiles as she takes a bite out of her apple.
The 12-year-old, a sixth-grader at Warren City Schools Willard K-8 building, said she doesn't mind the changes the school district has made to its breakfast and lunch menus.
"I like fruit, I like salad," she remarked. "I like knowing I'm eating something that's good for me. I don't mind it at all."
This year, like other local school districts, Warren is complying with new federal meal program guidelines that require them to offer students lower-calorie, lower-fat, healthier food choices.
President Barack Obama signed the standards into law as part of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The measure was championed by first lady Michelle Obama as part of her Let's Move! campaign. Schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program are required to offer fruits and vegetables each day, increase the amount of whole-grain foods that are served and reduce or eliminate sodium and fat. Also, milk products can only be fat-free or low fat.
According to federal officials, the changes mark the first the Department of Agriculture has made in school meals in 15 years.
From left, Quin’yotae Brantley, 12, Angel Washington, 12, and Sabrina Ball, 11, all sixth-graders at Warren City Schools Willard K-8, each lunch Friday. New federal meal guidelines call for school districts to offer students lower-calorie, lower-fat, healthier food choices. Photo by Virginia Shank
Schools have until Oct. 1 to comply, but most report that they are already meeting the requirements.
Recently, Kevin Concannon, the USDA Food and Nutrition Service undersecretary joined students at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Youngstown for lunch as part of an ongoing effort to make the public aware of the new standards. Concannon advises school officials to introduce the changes gradually, provide choices and find innovative ways to offer the foods. He said helping students become healthier is a key step in establishing a healthier America.
Lauren Postlethwait, Warren's food service supervisor, said that the school district has already been complying with the new USDA requirements, so the transition has not been that difficult. For example, salads have become part of the daily lunches at Warren G. Harding High School. The district now offers light and fat-free dressing. Also, the district now only offers fat-free flavored milk.
Some school districts, such as Austintown, have been working to incorporate produce grown by local farmers into their menus.
"We're trying to avoid preservatives and give students more healthier choices," explained Tascin Brooks, food service director at Austintown."Even little changes here and there can add up and make a big difference."
Brooks said that the food service staff has been working to better balance the K-8 menus, even attending a class recently to help with the effort. Students are being introduced to new foods gradually and have been participating in taste tests. For example, last year students taste tested hummus, which is now something being offered at school. Recently, they tested yellow watermelon and purple peppers.
"If they like it, we try to offer it," she said.
Area school food service officials said cookies and other fatty desserts are being replaced by healthier alternatives including fresh apples, pumpkin sauce and frozen yogurt.
Donna Smaldino, Youngstown's food service director, said students are required to take a minimum of 1/2 cup fruit or 1/2 cup serving of vegetable. She said beans are a focus now as the district tries to find recipes the students will eat. A local bakery developed a ranch hummus Smaldino serves as a dip with for vegetables.
"We're experimenting, trying new things," she said. "Hopefully they'll (students) will try it and eat it."
Some school officials said they are concerned about the impact the standards likely will have on their budgets, but by working with local farmers and food co-ops they are hoping to save money. Additionally, Ohio is among the 18 states and one territory to be awarded USDA grants to help with the transition.
"It's been a challenging change because the requirements are so strict," Brooks said. "But it's important to have healthy kids. That's what really counts."
Youngstown also qualified for the USDA'S Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program, receiving a grant of almost $250,000. As part of that program every elementary student in the district gets a fresh fruit or vegetable as an afternoon snack two days a week free of charge.
Many school officials said they have received positive feedback from parents and students.
"We look at their trays and see what they're eating and what they're not," said Postlethwait. "We don't want them throwing food away so it's nice to see they are actually eating the salad and the fruits. We're glad the kids are at least trying things and not walking away. It doesn't do anyone any good if they're not eating what's being given to them."