The Floyd County Schools nutrition program has been recognized by the Georgia Department of Education for compliance with the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children.

The School Meals Initiative passed by Congress in 1995 and effective this school year, sets new nutrition standards for school meals.

Receiving the School Meals Initiative award means that all schools in the school system are meeting the standards.

The new standards, which are the first overall revision of nutrition standards for school meals since Congress established the National School Lunch Program in 1946, require that school meals comply with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS).”

The guidelines include recommendations for eating a variety of foods; limiting total fat to 30 percent of calories and saturated fat to 10 percent of calories; choosing a diet with plenty of vegetables, fruits and grain products; and using salt and sugar in moderation.

In addition to limiting fat, the new regulations require that, over a week’s cycle of menus, lunch provide students with one third of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium (key nutrients for growth and development). Breakfast is required to provide one fourth of the RDA over the weekly cycle.

Complying with the School Meals Initiative has meant the school system must standardize recipes and serve uniform portions so that the nutrients in meals can be accurately determined.

"We always seek to provide the best possible meals that are both tasty and nutritious for the children in our schools," said Mrs. Donna Carver, director of school nutrition for Floyd County Schools. "These guidelines just provide us a clear target for menu planning and help us adjust our purchasing to limit high-fat items and to add more grain foods, vegetables and fruits."