BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — Moms and dads know it’s not always easy to feed their kids.
This has been a focus of Bismarck school leaders for years, and Bismarck nutrition experts say some new standards for school meals will be released by the Department of Agriculture in the next few years.
When it’s time for lunch at Northridge Elementary School, it’s up to the kitchen staff to be ready.
“It’s a fast-paced job. I’m here four and a half hours a day, and I’m running around on my feet the whole time,” explained child nutrition assistant Joet Knapp.
“My favorite food is chili peppers. I had no idea that was on the menu,” said Eva Parent, a fourth-grader at Northridge Elementary School.
As the children pick up the tray and read through the file, there are many options to choose from.
“If that’s not something you like, there’s a second option that I take. My favorites are pizza packs or brunch for lunch,” Parent said.
“A hundred years ago, when I was in school, they put it on your plate and you ate it. There was no other choice, and if you didn’t like it, you just didn’t eat it.” Knapp said.
But much of that has changed over the years as schools have been encouraged to find healthier options. Well, things are changing again with new standards announced this week from the White House.
“The breakfast and lunch program has a dietary pattern that must be followed in order to receive reimbursement from the government,” explained Michelle Wagner, director of child nutrition at BPS.
Some new standards from the USDA call for less added sugar and more emphasis on whole grains. Ultimately, you want to keep your child’s weekly calories from added sugars to less than 10% of hers.
One example is the popular chocolate milk. Bismarck school leaders say adding 6 grams of sugar is already below that 10 percent mark.
“We use low-carb cereals. We have low-sugar yogurt, so some of those things are already in place and this means taking the next step.” said Wagner.
Some of the standards will be in place over the next three years, which may give Bismarck school leaders a chance to play around with the menu without making major changes.
“They’ve done a great job of getting foods that have a lot less sugar and foods that have whole wheat flour. In some cases, kids don’t even notice,” Knapp said.
“Again, if you actually eat it and it doesn’t end up in the garbage, we feel like it’s a successful meal,” Wagner said.
Most of the new nutritional standards will begin in the fall of 2025.
Federal leaders say the goal is to lower children’s risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
