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Pflugerville Independent School District

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USDA Meal Changes

USDA Meal Changes 

Parents, please note that for Elementary Meals, Students can only take a maximum of one serving of fruit when coming through the lunch line. Any extra servings of fruit will be charged (100% fruit juice counts as a fruit component). Main Items count as 2 components.
 

"Go For More"

 

go for more

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This program started in 2008 as an idea to encourage students to make a healthy selection in their cafeteria. Each day Pfisd elementary campuses offer complimentary fruits and vegetables to students dining at the Cool Caf, in addition to the offerings they receive in the serving line. By doing so, we felt that students would return to the line and fill up on healthy items, thus not only introducing them to new fruits and vegetables but also educating them on the importance of making healthy decisions, rather than filling up on traditionally offered snacks. Please contact your cafeteria manager for more details.


 Please contact your cafeteria manager for more details.

 
 
 

Dear Pflugerville ISD Parent:

Welcome to a new school year! The PISD Food Service staff is looking forward to serving your children nutritious, great-tasting menus that support their achievements in school and promote healthy lifestyles. Healthy for Life™ is our commitment to creating healthier environments and communities, by providing comprehensive nutrition and wellness education.

This year we will continue to expand the program to better serve our students and their families; and this year, as part of this expansion, we have updated the program design to better reflect the sophisticated tastes of today’s students.

For your students, we offer a variety of meal choices with one goal in mind: To provide outstanding service and high quality “kid-friendly” meals that meet or exceed the latest federal and state requirements. Pflugerville ISD’s menus are designed to ensure that students receive a balanced meal, consisting of foods from all major food groups in the right proportions to meet calorie and other nutrient needs. 

The products and the cooking methods we use conserve food quality and nutrients while limiting the addition of fats and eliminating frying. So although you may see popular items like pizza and chicken nuggets on your menus, be assured that your child’s school meal selections contain healthy whole grains and are lower in fat and salt than what you find in grocery stores or restaurants. We will also be offering some different foods that your children may not have tried before, so please encourage your child to taste these items. They just might become a new favorite!

 

  • All of the bread and grain products served for breakfast and lunch now will be whole grain-rich, ensuring plenty of fiber and other essential nutrients. Added trans fats have been eliminated from all foods, and menus are planned to limit sodium to meet the new standards set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for school meals.
  • The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) will continue to have age-appropriate calorie limits; offer more servings of fruits and plenty of vegetables, with a focus on nutrient-dense dark green, red/orange, and legume vegetable selections; and offer a wide variety of grain and protein items. Students must take at least ½ cup of fruit or vegetable each day.
  • The School Breakfast Program (SBP) will also have age-appropriate calorie limits for three grade groups (K-5, 6-8, and 9-12). Schools must now offer even more fruit and/or vegetables every day, and students will have to take at least ½ cup of fruit with each breakfast meal.
  • PfISD has proudly adopted policies that address vending machine and food service guidelines for restricting student access to vending.

 

We will continue to post signs on each service line to show students how to select a reimbursable meal, as well as to help them understand how their choices fit into the key food groups needed to ensure a balanced approach to healthy eating. In addition, we are continuing to support our local health and wellness initiatives, such as CATCH, HUSSC, Chef's Pals, and continued use of locally grown produce.

We are proud to serve nutritious foods to your child and encourage you to support our ongoing efforts to improve student health and well-being by participating in our Food Service program. For more information about our menus and programs, please visit this site frequently as we will have the most updated information here. 

To learn more about healthy school meals visit http://www.fns.usda.gov or www.myhealthyforlife.com. Also, don’t forget – we have a registered dietitian on staff to answer any nutritional questions that you may have.

We hope that you and your students have a great year! Please feel free to email me or call us at (512) 594-0430 with any questions or comments.

Thank you, 

Geoff Holle
Resident District Manager