A hungry student can’t learn! Watervliet Public Schools Nutrition Services Department is committed to preparing and serving our students nutritious, balanced meals to prepare them for a day of learning to achieve academic success.

Watervliet School Meals are healthier than ever! You will not find candy bars, soda of any kind or fried foods in any of our cafeterias, which puts our school system in good standing as new school meals regulations are passed in Washington.

Our school meals are well balanced and our students are offered healthy choices including: Fresh fruits and vegetables every day Salad bars are offered daily with reduced fat/reduced calorie dressings Whole grain breads and roll Pizza made with whole grain crust and low fat cheese and pepperoni 60% of our breaded chicken products are made with whole grains Healthy cooking techniques such as baking foods rather than frying Reduced Trans Fats or zero Trans Fat food items

Our school meals include the use of USDA Foods (commodities). USDA has made significant progress in reducing the amount of fat, sodium and added sugars in the food they offer to schools. Ground beef was reduced to an average of 15% fat, as compared to an average of 30% fat in the fast food industry. Commodity canned fruits are packed in light syrup or fruit juice. Commodity canned vegetables are now 51% lower in sodium on average than its’ commercial counterparts.

So, how did we get here? Every year, we try to make our meals and ala carte food healthier. We have been focused on improving the quality and nutrition of our offerings since 1998.

Where we were:

This is where we are now- 12years later

Where do we go from here?

Child Nutrition Reauthorization % of the grains offered must be whole grain, increasing each year until only whole grains are offered Establishes a maximum calorie amount instead of the current minimum calorie amount for breakfast and lunch Increased portion sizes of fruits and vegetables Require that all white milk be low fat or fat free and that all flavored milks be fat free Limit starchy vegetables such as corn, peas and potatoes to 1 cup per week at all grade levels For the first time the bill addresses professional standards for all food service staff, beyond the current sanitation and food safety

Changes and challenges for Watervliet May need to consider returning to pre-portioning some food items to limit calories. Milk vendors are still in development of good tasting skimmed flavored milk that will be accepted by our students. Current cooking and refrigeration equipment have been adequate to support the steps we have taken thus far, however, further changes will most likely require additional needs. Additional training and certification will be required for most of the food service staff beyond what we currently offer. As high sodium foods are part of an normal diet in our culture, it will be a continued challenge for student acceptance of the new lower sodium foods.

To help in this challenge, we support forward thinking programs such as: Taste testing with students as well as parents. Involving students with menu creation through student advisory groups and surveys. Advocating for additional state and federal funds to support the additional cost of the new guidelines. Continued community education on proper nutrition increasing physical activity and healthy lifestyles. Healthy at any size! - Emphasis shifts away from putting pressure on kids to be thin and moving towards proactive approaches by promoting good nutrition, healthy weight and physical activity.