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Division of Nutrition AssistanceSchool Lunch Is a Good Value Graphic elements can be computer printed or traced from the provided designs. Words and symbols are mounted on colored paper frames and decorated with confetti. Create frames using irregularly shaped mats in graduated sizes cut from construction paper. Suggested Materials
Learning Activities 1. School lunch vs. brown bag or fast food lunch Lead a class discussion on the subject of school lunch, presenting the facts that it is less expensive and contains more nutrients than do most brown bag lunches and fast food meals. Schools participating in the National School Lunch Program receive federal, state, and sometimes, local funds for each student meal served. This funding helps to make up the difference between what the lunch costs to produce and what the students and teachers pay. The amount of federal reimbursement keeps the cost of lunch low for all students. Many schools also receive a variety of commodity foods such as lean ground beef, chicken, and ground turkey from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Often, these commodity foods are of a higher quality than the same items bought from the grocery store. 2. Nutrient analysis Compare the nutrient analysis of a meal from school lunch to that of a typical meal from a fast food chain and a brown bag lunch. Students can obtain copies of the nutrient analysis of the school lunch meals from the school food service manager. Use the USDA Food Composition website to get information on the other products. How does the price compare? How do the nutrients compare? Most school lunches offer skim (or fat-free) milk and fruits and vegetables to provide more calcium, vitamins A and C, and iron. More often, schools bake rather than fry food items to keep the total fat content of lunches low. School lunches offer more variety than do brown bag lunches or fast food meals. Nutrient analysis is viewed over a period of one week. Therefore, some food items and some meals may be higher one day than another; but when averaging the nutrient content for the week, school lunch is a good value. |
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