1. School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
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3. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
Participants will:
State the component requirements for school lunch
State the age/grade groups for lunch
Describe allowable/unallowable items within each component
Describe the vegetable subgroup requirements
State the limits on offering juice
Determine if the minimum weekly grain requirement is met
State a waiver option related to whole grain-rich requirements
Identify a resource for learning how to identify whole grain-rich items
School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards | General Meal Pattern Requirements
General Meal Pattern Requirements
School Lunch consists of five components:
Fruit
Vegetable
Grains
Meat/Meat Alternate
Milk
The age/grade groups for lunch are:
K-5
6-8
9-12
K-8 is also grouped on PDE’s charts for convenience

4. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Fruit Component
Amounts Required
Allowable Forms
Allowable forms of fruit include:
Fresh
Frozen
Canned in extra light or light syrup, water, or fruit juice
Dried
100% full-strength fruit juice
Note: 100% fruit strips, fruit drops, and other snack-type fruits are not creditable.

5. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Fruit Component (continued)
Juice Limits
No more than ½ (50%) of the volume of total fruit that students are allowed to select each week may be in the form of juice.
(For the purposes of assessing juice limit, see PDE712e on PEARS Download Forms.)
In K-8, when students may select ½ cup of fruit daily, ½ cup of juice may be offered no more than twice per week.
Juice may be offered every day if students are allowed to select 1 cup of fruit AND no more than ½ cup of the fruit that they select may be in the form of juice.
Continued on next slide.

6. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Fruit Component (continued)
Students may select two ½ cup portions of fruit.
Students may not select two ½ cup portions of juice.
Students may select ½ cup fruit and ½ cup juice.

7. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Vegetable Component
Amounts Required
For a more complete list of vegetables in each subgroup, refer to the individual Vegetables by Subgroup sections of the Food Buying Guide (
Examples of Vegetables within each Subgroup
Continued on next slide.

8. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Vegetable Component (continued)
Crediting and Allowable Forms
Vegetables credit as the volume served. The exception is uncooked leafy greens which credit as half of the volume served (e.g. 1 cup of romaine lettuce = ½ cup vegetables).
The minimum creditable amount is 1/8 cup.
Fresh, frozen, and canned varieties are permitted.
100%, full-strength vegetable juice is also permitted. As with fruit, no more than ½ (50%) of the volume of total vegetables that students are allowed to select each week may be in the form of juice.
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Fruits and Vegetables
100% fruit and vegetable juice blends can contribute to the reimbursable meal. If the first ingredient is fruit juice, the juice blend credits as a fruit. If the first ingredient is vegetable juice, it credits to the “additional” vegetable requirement.
Schools may offer both fruits and vegetables in pureed form (smoothies, soups).
Pureed forms credit based on the actual volume served AFTER pureeing.
The fruit/vegetable in smoothies counts as juice and counts toward the weekly juice limit. (Note: Pureed fruits and vegetables may be served as a food, such as applesauce or in soup, and do not count toward the juice limit.)
Continued on next slide.

9. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Fruits and Vegetables Component (continued)
Smoothie crediting differs based on the preparation source:
If smoothies are prepared by local operators, fruits and vegetables are credited. (Milk and yogurt are also creditable.)
If smoothies are prepared commercially, only fruits and vegetables are credited.
See policy memos on CN PEARS:
PDE701, Meal Pattern Q&As
PDE708, Smoothies Offered in Child Nutrition Programs
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Grain Component
100% fruit and vegetable juice blends can contribute to the reimbursable meal. If the first ingredient is fruit juice, the juice blend credits as a fruit. If the first ingredient is vegetable juice, it credits to the “additional” vegetable requirement.
Schools may offer both fruits and vegetables in pureed form (smoothies, soups).
Pureed forms credit based on the actual volume served AFTER pureeing.
The fruit/vegetable in smoothies counts as juice and counts toward the weekly juice limit. (Note: Pureed fruits and vegetables may be served as a food, such as applesauce or in soup, and do not count toward the juice limit.)

10. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Grain Component
Amounts Required
Crediting
Grains credit by weight as ounce equivalents (oz eq).
The minimum creditable amount is 0.25 oz eq.
All grains offered at lunch must be whole grain-rich to credit in the meal. Whole grain-rich products must be at least 50% whole grains by weight, with the remaining grains enriched.
For guidance and details on crediting and identifying whole grain-rich products and meeting the whole grain-rich criteria, see USDA’s Whole Grain Resource for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs (
Continued on next slide.

11. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Grain Component
Whole Grain-Rich Exemption
The original regulations for the new school lunch meal pattern required that all grains offered in school lunch are whole grain-rich beginning the school year. However, Congress has allowed State Agencies to grant exemptions to schools that demonstrate a hardship in offering whole grain-rich products to students in school years and
The Pennsylvania Department of Education, Division of Food and Nutrition has established a process for evaluating and responding to schools’ exemption requests. Schools wishing to receive an exemption must complete a Request for Exemption from School Meals’ Whole Grain- Rich Requirement form. See PDE-SNP-718 memo on PEARS for more information.
Schools that are approved for an exemption from the current whole grain-rich requirement must continue, at a minimum, to ensure that at least half of the grains that are offered are whole grain-rich each week.
Determining Daily and Weekly Minimum Requirements
Determine the oz eq of grains offered in each reimbursable meal that a child can choose each day.
The meal that offers the least oz eq of grains is your daily minimum.
Add the daily minimum each day to calculate the weekly minimum.
Continued on next slide.

12. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Grain Component
Example 1 (Daily Minimum Requirement):
Click on each question to reveal the correct answer.
1. What is the daily minimum?
1 ¼ oz eq
2. Would this meet the daily minimum requirement for grades K-8?
Yes, because the daily minimum requirement for grades K-8 is 1 oz eq.
3. Would this meet the daily minimum requirement for grades 9-12?
No, because the daily minimum requirement for grades 9-12 is 2 oz eq.
Continued on next slide.

13. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Grain Component
Example 2 (Weekly Minimum Requirement):
Use the table displayed on the lower left to answer the questions.
Click on each question to reveal the correct answer.
1. Does this meet the weekly minimum requirement for grades 6-8?
Yes, because the weekly minimum requirement is 8.
2. Would this menu meet the weekly minimum requirement for grades 9-12?
No, because the weekly minimum requirement is 10.

14. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Meat Alternate Component
Amounts Required
Crediting
Meat/meat alternates credit by weight as ounce equivalents (oz eq).
The minimum creditable amount is 0.25 oz eq.
Dry beans/peas (legumes) may credit as either a vegetable or as a meat alternate, but not as both in the same meal. One-quarter (1/4) cup dried beans/peas (legumes) credits as 1 oz eq meat alternate in school meals.
Whole, large eggs credit as 2 oz eq.
Tofu and soy yogurt are creditable as meat alternates. See memo SP , Crediting Tofu and Soy Yogurt Products located on PEARS, Download Forms, Nutrition Standards in School Meals section (PDE 707).
Continued on next slide.

15. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Meat Alternate Component
Crediting (continued)
Crediting Tofu
Must be commercially prepared.
Must meet definition established in 7 CFR
2.2 ounces (1/4 cup) of commercially prepared tofu, containing at least 5 grams of protein, is creditable as 1 oz eq Meat Alternate.
Soy and Regular Yogurt
½ cup (4 fluid ounces) is creditable as 1 oz eq Meat Alternate.
See the Food Buying Guide, Meat/Meat Alternate section for more information about crediting meats/meat alternates (

16. Topic 1: School Lunch Meal Pattern and Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Fluid Milk Component
Amounts Required
Allowable Types of Milk
Must offer daily variety (at least two) of the following:
Fat-free unflavored
Fat-free flavored.
Low-fat (1 percent or less) unflavored
Fat-free or low-fat lactose-reduced/lactose-free
Whole, 2 percent, and low-fat flavored milks are not allowable.
There are no fat/flavor restrictions on milk substitutes.

17. Topic 2: Offer Versus Serve in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
Participants will:
State the general requirements for Offer Vs. Serve in the National School Lunch Program.
Identify a resource for more detailed information about Offer Vs. Serve.
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Offer Versus Serve
Offer Versus Serve is optional at lunch for grades K-8.
Offer Versus Serve is required at lunch in grades 9-12.
Schools must offer the five meal components: Fruit, Vegetable, Grains, Meat/Meat Alternates, and Milk.
Students must select at least three components.
Students must choose at least ½ cup of fruit and/or vegetable as part of the meal.
If a student selects a fruit and a vegetable as two of their three components, one of them must be the full required amount (based on the age/grade group).
For more detailed information about Offer Vs. Serve, see the “Offer Versus Serve (OVS)” module on the School Nutrition Toolbox site.

18. Topic 3 | National School Lunch Program Nutrition Standards
Participants will:
Identify the Nutrition Standards for school lunch.
Identify common sources of sodium.
List ways to reduce sodium in school meals.
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Lunch: Nutrition Standards
Nutrition Standards (or Dietary Specifications) are set for calories, saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium. All are averaged over a school week.
There is a minimum and maximum requirement for calories, which vary by grade level:
Grades K-5: calories
Grades 6-8: calories
Grades 9-12: calories
Saturated fat must be less than 10% of total calories.
The standard for trans fat is zero grams per offered portion. Naturally-occurring trans fat is excluded (e.g. beef, lamb, dairy products).
Sodium requirements for lunch are:
Grades K-5: ≤1230 mg
Grades 6-8: ≤1360 mg
Grades 9-12: ≤1420 mg

19. Topic 3 | National School Lunch Program Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Reducing Sodium
Sources of sodium in the diet include:
Table salt (1 tsp. salt = about 2300 mg. sodium).
Ingredients such as MSG, baking soda, baking powder, disodium phosphate, sodium alginate, and sodium nitrate or nitrite.
Processed and prepared foods such as canned vegetables, soups, lunch meats, and frozen entrees.
Some condiments such as soy sauce, salad dressing, and ketchup.
Naturally-occurring sodium in foods.
Continued on next slide.

20. Topic 3 | National School Lunch Program Nutrition Standards
School Lunch Meal Pattern | Reducing Sodium in School Meals
Read Nutrition Facts labels to compare the sodium content for similar foods.
Check with manufacturers for lower-sodium foods.
Serve more fresh foods and fewer processed foods.
Choose fresh or frozen vegetables, or lower-sodium canned vegetables.
Modify recipes that use high sodium ingredients (e.g. cheese sauce, spaghetti sauce, soups).
Offer lower-sodium condiments.
Remove or reduce salt from recipes where possible.
Use herbs and spices rather than salt to flavor foods.
NOTE: Salt substitutes containing potassium chloride can be harmful for some people and are not appropriate for use in schools.