Nutrition Guidelines

• Breakfast features a different fruit daily, at least three fresh fruits a week.
• Lunch features five different vegetable and fresh fruit options each week.
• Vegetables from the dark-green, red, orange, beans and peas, and other sub-groups may be substituted for fruits to meet the breakfast fruit requirement.
• Fresh local produce is to be served twice per month; frozen local produce is to be served once weekly, with additional special local promotions at least once a month.
• Canned fruits are packed in water, 100% juice, or light syrup and are free from high fructose corn syrup.
• 100% juice is served no more than once a week at K-12 breakfast, two times per week at elementary school lunch, and three times a week at high school lunch.

• At least 80% of grains served per week, at breakfast and lunch, are whole grain-rich. Whole grain-rich foods are those that contain 100% whole grains or at least 50% whole grain meal and/or flour.
• Any other grains, such as white rice, are enriched. Enriched foods have micronutrients added back to a food product that were lost during processing.

• Protein must be included as a component in breakfast three times a week for both hot and cold menus.
• The district supports sustainability and environmental efforts, including the values of the Good Food Purchasing Program, by offering hot vegetarian meals daily.
• Vegetarian protein may include egg, cheese, soy-based products such as tofu and soy butter, beans, lentils, sunflower seeds, sunflower butter, peanut butter, hummus and yogurt.
• Lean, finely textured beef (LFTB), also known as pink slime, is prohibited.

• Starchy vegetables (peas, corn and potatoes) are limited to one cup per week.

• Meals do not include deep-fat frying, MSG, trans fats or high-fat or high-sodium condiments.
• Water, juice and frozen juice drinks may not contain added sugar or non-sugar sweeteners.
• Sodium levels must meet the most current USDA targets. CPS currently serves meals that are lower than the USDA sodium targets.
• No salt shakers are made available to students.

• All milk is low-fat or skim and may not contain water, preservatives, neutralizers, rGHB, BST or other foreign matters/
• All students have access to plain drinking water at no cost. During mealtimes water may be available through a cooler or school water fountain. Bottled water is only available during emergency situations and/or for purchase at select schools.

Calories and portion sizes align with USDA standards:

• Elementary school breakfast calorie range: 350–550
• High school breakfast calorie range: 450–600
• Elementary school lunch calorie range: 550–700
• High school lunch calorie range: 750–850

• All food served or sold on school grounds to be consumed during the school day, including items in vending machines, à la carte, and school stores, must follow the same high nutrition standards as food served during breakfast and lunch. The school day is defined as midnight to 30 minutes after dismissal.

• Local is defined as, within 350 miles from Seattle and/or the Pacific Northwest.

• We aim to reduce ingredients of concern in our school meals. The presence of unwanted ingredients is avoided in new menu items and eliminated, over time, from existing products.