Why buy a school meal?

To view a chart comparing home, lunchables, convenience store purchased lunch and school meals, click on this lunches  [PDF] link.  Consider the advantages of leaving the meal preparations for your child’s lunch to Denver Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services. When was the last time you ate a school lunch? If your answer is, "When I was in school." ,then it's time to visit your child's school at lunchtime. You'll be surprised at how much has changed! Today's school meals provide much more variety than before and follow the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Food Guide Pyramid: eat a variety of foods; choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruits; choose a diet moderate in sugars and salt; and choose a diet with 30% or less of calories from fat with less than 10% of calories from saturated fat. Lunches must provide, on average over each school week, at least 1/3 of the daily Recommended Dietary Allowances for protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C. Breakfast must provide, on average over each school week, at least 1/4 of the daily Recommended Dietary Allowances for protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins A and C. Participating in National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs provides kids with the "fuel" they need to perform for the day. We are always happy to see a parent, grandparent or sibling come to eat with a student. It is a special occasion for the entire class. We hope you will purchase a nutritious lunch from the school cafeteria. It is nice for the students to see that grownups also eat nutritious lunches. The emphasis on nutritional eating is reflected in the selection of food sold in the cafeteria. We ask that when you come to eat lunch with your child, you help us continue to model healthy, nutritious eating. It is your presence, more than anything, that makes the occasion special for your child. All visitors must check in first at the school office. Why should my child eat school meals? Would you like to have some more time to spend with your children each week? Would you like to save money and still know that your children are receiving nutritious meals at school each day? Are you tired of trying to find an insulated container to keep hot and/or cold foods safe and appealing and replacing them when they are damaged, left at school over long vacations or lost altogether? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then we have some information that we would like to share with you. Nutrition: Did you know that all meals served by Denver Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services are required by federal and state regulations to meet specific nutritional requirements? Over a week, the meals that the students receive must provide no more than 30% of the calories from fat, 10% from saturated fat, and must meet certain levels of calories, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium. In addition, the state has guidelines we must meet to provide adequate fiber and limit sodium and cholesterol. All of our menus are analyzed by a registered dietitian to meet these requirements and guidelines. Most of the alternative lunches listed below were lacking in some key nutrients and had excess fat, saturated fat and sodium. Excess fat and sodium is generally linked with increased risk for obesity, Type 2 Diabetes, heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure. Cost: Over a school year, switching to a school lunch can save a family hundreds of dollars per child compared to the other meals listed below. Also, if a family qualifies, the student may eat at no charge or at a reduced charge. Time: Consider the amount of time to spend to make sure that your child has a meal for school. This includes shopping, preparing, packing and occasionally dropping a forgotten lunch off at school. If the student eats at school, you can pay into his/her account weekly, monthly, annually or daily if you need to. Then you know that your student can have a nutritious meal and you haven’t had to spend the time fixing it! Food Safety: A major concern with meals brought from home is finding a way to keep the temperature in the safe zone. Hot foods need to be kept above 140 degrees F and cold foods below 41 degrees F to prevent food-borne illness. All DPS Food Service managers and employees in each school receive required training in food safety and sanitation. Variety: We offer at least two entrées, fruit and vegetable choices on a daily basis to all students at the elementary schools and even more choices at the secondary schools. Over a month, we offer a large variety of choices in entrées, breads, fruits and vegetables and even flavors of milk. This variety is difficult for most households to provide.