Why are chocolate and strawberry milk, which contain caffeine and artificial sweeteners still being served?
Milk is a valuable source for important nutritional requirements for kids, including calcium, vitamins A and D, protein and calories. Student preference for flavored milk (primarily chocolate) is 2 to 1 over white milk. In pilot studies conducted in BVSD, we found that if chocolate milk is not offered, many kids will not drink milk at all, missing out on important daily nutrients.
While there are “healthier” versions of flavored milk available that do not have artificial sweeteners, none was found at a price that would make it affordable to all children.
The task force decided to allow flavored milks to be offered, while continuing to pursue alternatives.
The instant soup offered in the lunch line contains MSG and is high in sodium, why is it still being offered?
Instant soup products have some of the same challenges as chocolate milk discussed above. It is an inexpensive option that is a popular choice and is an important source of calories for many students. Eliminating this option would eliminate a significant calorie source for some students. While healthier alternatives exist, they are too expensive for some students to purchase on a daily basis.
The task force decided to allow instant soup products to be offered, while continuing to investigate alternatives.
My child eats at the al la carte line because he doesn’t like the selections offered in the hot lunch line. Can we do something to improve that?
The hot lunch and breakfast lines are subsidized with federal dollars and the menus must fulfill USDA nutritional requirements. Also, these meals must be affordable for all students. The Boulder Valley food services office tries to be responsive to kids’ tastes and is open to making changes to the hot lunch menu. However, this task was outside of the scope of work requested by the board of education and is a larger task than could be undertaken in the given time frame. The nutrition task force would like to expand its work to include revising the hot lunch menu and hopes to do so in the coming year.
Once a quarter my child’s class has a pizza party to celebrate student accomplishments. Will we still be allowed to bring in pizza and soda for the party?
The guidelines apply to food that is offered on a regular basis, such as weekly or monthly. Special occasions like school dances or special event parties like your pizza party are exceptions. However, the principal at each school makes the final decision on what will be allowed.
Our school store raises a lot of money selling soda and candy after school. What should we do to replace that revenue?
School stores may offer anything from the approved product list kept by the food services office. This list may be obtained by calling the food services office at 303-447-5042.