Plan school meal and snack programs so they are appealing and meet the US Department of Agriculture's nutritional standards.

Offering a variety of healthy foods in school meal and snack programs allows students to develop healthy eating habits and to learn to enjoy many different foods. Healthy school meals provide energy and nutrients required by children and adolescents for sound bodies and minds. Schools are required by law to offer school meals and snacks that are consistent with the federal government's Dietary Guidelines for Americans (23).

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (23) stress the importance of choosing a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and moderate in total fat, choosing a variety of grains daily (especially whole grains), eating a variety of fruits and vegetables daily, and eating some low-fat dairy products each day. Menu planning should provide variety and choices and include input from students, parents, and school personnel on local, cultural, and ethnic favorites of the students. Guidelines for School Programs (8) (Guidelines to Promote Lifelong Healthy Eating) on the Internet site for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) should be referenced for more detailed recommendations. A tool kit for healthy school meals, which is available on the US Department of Agriculture () Internet site, includes recipes and training materials.

To the extent possible, accommodate needs of students on special diets (i.e., restrictions based on: vegetarian or vegan diets, faith, specific food allergies, lactose intolerance) and students whose special care needs or developmental disabilities require a modified food program.

American School Food Service Association. Keys to Excellence: Standards of Practice for Nutrition Integrity. Alexandria, VA: American School Food Service Association; 1995.

Bogden JF. Fit, Healthy, and Ready to Learn: A School Health Policy Guide. Part I: Physical Activity, Healthy Eating, and Tobacco Use Prevention. Alexandria, VA: National Association of State Boards of Education; 2000.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Guidelines for school health programs to promote lifelong healthy eating. MMWR. 1996;45(RR-9):1-41.

Dairy Council of Wisconsin. Trimming the Fat: A Step-by-step Guide for Implementing USDA's Food-based Menu System. Alexandria, VA: American School Food Service Association, 1996.

Messina V, Mangels AR. Considerations in planning vegan diets: children. J Am Diet Assoc. 2001 Jun;101(6):661-9.

Story M, ed et al . Bright futures in practice: nutrition. 2nd ed. Arlington VA: National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health, 2002.

US Department of Agriculture. Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2000. 5th ed. Washington, DC: US Department of Agriculture; 2000.

US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Team Nutrition. A Tool Kit for Healthy School Meals: Recipes & Training Materials. 1995.

US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Team Nutrition. Menu Planner for Healthy School Meals. 1998.

US Department of Health and Human Services; Oral Health in America: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: US Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institute of Health; 2000.