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‘Nutrition integrity’ is needed to improve school meals
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LETTERS TO THE ENTORS 'NUTRITION INTEGRITY' ISNEEDED TO IMPROVE SCHOOL MEALS To the Editors: ADA's testimony before the US Department of Agriculture (ADA recommends that school feeding programs follow the US Dietary Guidelines: testimony before the USDA. JAm Diet Assoc. 1994;94:2628.) provided insight into the issues involved in improving the nutritional quality of school meals. Leaders and members of the American School Food Service Association (ASFSA) know these issues all too well and are taking proactive steps to improve the nutritional quality of school meals. The term "nutrition integrity" was coined at ASFSA's 1990 Long Range Planning Seminar. Nutrition integrity is defined as "a guaranteed level of performance that assures that all foods available in schools for children are consistent with recommended dietary allowances and dietary guidelines and, when consumed, contribute to the development of lifelong, health eating habits" (1). ASFSA recognizes that planning menus that reflect the Dietary Guidelines (2) is an important step in accomplishing our goal. However, it is only one step in the process. Many factors influence what students choose to eat at school. Furthermore, many of these factors are outside the control of the local school foodservice director. Therefore, a model nutrition policy that addressed many of these factors, entitled CreatingPolicyforNutrition Integrity in Schools (3), was developed by ASFSA in 1992. ASFSA members and state education agencies have been committed to improving the nutritional well-being of students by adopting and endorsing the following core concepts that are contained in the policy. * Nutrition standards, based on scientific recommendations, will be adopted to set appropriate goals. Emphasis will be placed on increasing the variety of foods and the amount of dietary fiber, and reducing fat, sodium, and sugar in school meals. * Student preferences will be considered in menu planning. Because foods must be eaten to provide nutrients, menu changes will be gradual to ensure acceptance. * Meals will contain an adequate amount of energy and a variety of foods to support growth, development, and the maintenance of desirable body weight. * The nutritional value of school meals will be evaluated over a period of days, rather than a single meal or food item. * Purchasing practices will be developed to ensure the use of high-quality ingredients and prepared products to maximize flavor and acceptance. School foodservice 374 / APRIL 1994 VOLUME 94 NUMBER 4
professionals will work with the food industry to develop appetizing and affordable products that meet nutrition standards. * Foods will be prepared to ensure a balance between optimal nutrition and student acceptance.
We need to aim for standards of nutrition integrity that ensure that all foods available in schools for children
meet dietary guidelines and contribute to lifelong, healthful eating habits
* Foods sold in addition to meals will be thoughtfully selected to ensure optimal nutritional quality and foster healthful eating habits. These foods will be limited in number to prevent the separation of students who can and cannot afford additional purchases. * Pleasant eating environments will be provided. This includes adequate time and space to eat school meals and positive supervision and role modeling at meal times. * Nutrition education will be an integral part of the curriculum from preschool to 12th grade. The school cafeteria will serve as a laboratory for applying critical thinking skills taught in the classroom. * Tools developed to train foodservice personnel, teachers, school administrators, and parents will be used to build
LETTES TO THE BNTORS ARE WELCOME Letters may have a maximum of 500 words; references should be kept to five or fewer. Relevant charts or graphs are acceptable.
Letters should be typed double-spaced with wide margins. Submission of a letter constitutes permission for The American Dietetic Association to use it in the Journal, subject to editing and abridgment. Financial associations or other possible conflicts of interest should always be disclosed. Letters relating to articles published in recent Journal issues have priority. Send four copies to: The Editor, Elaine R. Monsen, PhD, RD, Journal of The American Dietetic Association, University of Washington, M/S DL-10, Seattle, WA 98195.
teams of competent, caring individuals with common goals. * Schoolfoodservice professionals and administrative personnel will work cooperatively with legislative and other governmental agencies to promote policies that further the achievement of nutrition integrity in child nutrition programs. To assist school foodservice professionals in implementing the Dietary Guidelines in school meal programs, the Nutrition Committee of ASFSA, in conjunction with the National Food Service Management Institute, is developing standards and indicators of achievement to measure success in accomplishing the goals set forth in the core concepts of the model nutrition policy (4). An example of the first core concept is illustrated by Sneed and Gregoire (5). Furthermore, ASFSA is updating its Standards of Practice to integrate the nutrition standards into operational standards. ADA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Education Association have expressed their endorsement and support of the core concepts contained within the model nutrition policy. A copy of the model policy is available by contacting: Tami Cline, MS, RD, American School Food Service Association, 1600 Duke St, 7th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314; 800/877-8822, ext 112. REBECCA GOULD, PhD, RD American School Food Service Association, and Department of Hotel, Restaurant, InstitutionManagement, and Dietetics, Kansas State University, Manhattan TAMI CLINE, MS, RD American School Food Service Association, Ale.xandria, Va DOROTHY CALDWELL, MS, RD American School Food Service Association and Child Nutrition Programs,Arkansas Department of Education, Little Rock SHEILA G. TERRY, MS American School Food Service Association and Nutrition and TransportationServices, Maryland Departmentof Education, Columbia References 1. White G.Nutrition integrity defined. School Food Service J 1994;48(1):21-22. 2.Nutritionand Your Health:Dietary CGuidelinesforAmericans. 3rd ed. Washington, DC: US Dept of Agriculture, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 1990. Home and Garden bulletin No. 232. 3. ASFSA: CreatingPolicyJbrNutritionIntegrity in Schools. Alexandria, Va: American School Food Service Association; 1992. 4. Terry S.A nutrition integrity primer. School Food Service J 1994;48(1):25. 5. Sneed J, Gregoire M. Setting the standard. School Food Service J 1994;48(1):27,28,30.
ET................................ TO THE T
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LETTERS TO THE ENTORS 'NUTRITION INTEGRITY' ISNEEDED TO IMPROVE SCHOOL MEALS To the Editors: ADA's testimony before the US Department of Agriculture (ADA recommends that school feeding programs follow the US Dietary Guidelines: testimony before the USDA. JAm Diet Assoc. 1994;94:2628.) provided insight into the issues involved in improving the nutritional quality of school meals. Leaders and members of the American School Food Service Association (ASFSA) know these issues all too well and are taking proactive steps to improve the nutritional quality of school meals. The term "nutrition integrity" was coined at ASFSA's 1990 Long Range Planning Seminar. Nutrition integrity is defined as "a guaranteed level of performance that assures that all foods available in schools for children are consistent with recommended dietary allowances and dietary guidelines and, when consumed, contribute to the development of lifelong, health eating habits" (1). ASFSA recognizes that planning menus that reflect the Dietary Guidelines (2) is an important step in accomplishing our goal. However, it is only one step in the process. Many factors influence what students choose to eat at school. Furthermore, many of these factors are outside the control of the local school foodservice director. Therefore, a model nutrition policy that addressed many of these factors, entitled CreatingPolicyforNutrition Integrity in Schools (3), was developed by ASFSA in 1992. ASFSA members and state education agencies have been committed to improving the nutritional well-being of students by adopting and endorsing the following core concepts that are contained in the policy. * Nutrition standards, based on scientific recommendations, will be adopted to set appropriate goals. Emphasis will be placed on increasing the variety of foods and the amount of dietary fiber, and reducing fat, sodium, and sugar in school meals. * Student preferences will be considered in menu planning. Because foods must be eaten to provide nutrients, menu changes will be gradual to ensure acceptance. * Meals will contain an adequate amount of energy and a variety of foods to support growth, development, and the maintenance of desirable body weight. * The nutritional value of school meals will be evaluated over a period of days, rather than a single meal or food item. * Purchasing practices will be developed to ensure the use of high-quality ingredients and prepared products to maximize flavor and acceptance. School foodservice 374 / APRIL 1994 VOLUME 94 NUMBER 4
professionals will work with the food industry to develop appetizing and affordable products that meet nutrition standards. * Foods will be prepared to ensure a balance between optimal nutrition and student acceptance.
We need to aim for standards of nutrition integrity that ensure that all foods available in schools for children
meet dietary guidelines and contribute to lifelong, healthful eating habits
* Foods sold in addition to meals will be thoughtfully selected to ensure optimal nutritional quality and foster healthful eating habits. These foods will be limited in number to prevent the separation of students who can and cannot afford additional purchases. * Pleasant eating environments will be provided. This includes adequate time and space to eat school meals and positive supervision and role modeling at meal times. * Nutrition education will be an integral part of the curriculum from preschool to 12th grade. The school cafeteria will serve as a laboratory for applying critical thinking skills taught in the classroom. * Tools developed to train foodservice personnel, teachers, school administrators, and parents will be used to build
LETTES TO THE BNTORS ARE WELCOME Letters may have a maximum of 500 words; references should be kept to five or fewer. Relevant charts or graphs are acceptable.
Letters should be typed double-spaced with wide margins. Submission of a letter constitutes permission for The American Dietetic Association to use it in the Journal, subject to editing and abridgment. Financial associations or other possible conflicts of interest should always be disclosed. Letters relating to articles published in recent Journal issues have priority. Send four copies to: The Editor, Elaine R. Monsen, PhD, RD, Journal of The American Dietetic Association, University of Washington, M/S DL-10, Seattle, WA 98195.
teams of competent, caring individuals with common goals. * Schoolfoodservice professionals and administrative personnel will work cooperatively with legislative and other governmental agencies to promote policies that further the achievement of nutrition integrity in child nutrition programs. To assist school foodservice professionals in implementing the Dietary Guidelines in school meal programs, the Nutrition Committee of ASFSA, in conjunction with the National Food Service Management Institute, is developing standards and indicators of achievement to measure success in accomplishing the goals set forth in the core concepts of the model nutrition policy (4). An example of the first core concept is illustrated by Sneed and Gregoire (5). Furthermore, ASFSA is updating its Standards of Practice to integrate the nutrition standards into operational standards. ADA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the National Education Association have expressed their endorsement and support of the core concepts contained within the model nutrition policy. A copy of the model policy is available by contacting: Tami Cline, MS, RD, American School Food Service Association, 1600 Duke St, 7th Floor, Alexandria, VA 22314; 800/877-8822, ext 112. REBECCA GOULD, PhD, RD American School Food Service Association, and Department of Hotel, Restaurant, InstitutionManagement, and Dietetics, Kansas State University, Manhattan TAMI CLINE, MS, RD American School Food Service Association, Ale.xandria, Va DOROTHY CALDWELL, MS, RD American School Food Service Association and Child Nutrition Programs,Arkansas Department of Education, Little Rock SHEILA G. TERRY, MS American School Food Service Association and Nutrition and TransportationServices, Maryland Departmentof Education, Columbia References 1. White G.Nutrition integrity defined. School Food Service J 1994;48(1):21-22. 2.Nutritionand Your Health:Dietary CGuidelinesforAmericans. 3rd ed. Washington, DC: US Dept of Agriculture, US Dept of Health and Human Services; 1990. Home and Garden bulletin No. 232. 3. ASFSA: CreatingPolicyJbrNutritionIntegrity in Schools. Alexandria, Va: American School Food Service Association; 1992. 4. Terry S.A nutrition integrity primer. School Food Service J 1994;48(1):25. 5. Sneed J, Gregoire M. Setting the standard. School Food Service J 1994;48(1):27,28,30.