DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — New dietary guidelines will soon be on the menu at Durham Public Schools. The changes mean that students will likely notice changes in their meals during breakfast and lunch.
“The best thing is the overload of gravy. I liked it a lot,” said Athena Constantinou, a third grader at Hope Valley Elementary School. “The steak comes with a bread that I like a lot and it comes with mashed potatoes.”
During the fifth lunch period at Hope Valley Elementary, students filled the cafeteria to eat. School Nutrition Services Manager Ariadna Barrueto Alejo showed off what was on the menu.
“The menu today is steak and gravy, a dinner roll, yogurt packet, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables and jelly sandwich,” she said.
What students eat in schools across the nation could soon change as school districts move to implement the new dietary guidelines. The new recommendations tell Americans to prioritize protein foods at every meal while avoiding highly processed foods and added sugars. Durham Public Schools said it started this school year with some healthy changes.
“Limiting the added sugars in breakfast cereals, flavored milk options like the chocolate and strawberry milk, and yogurt,” said DPS School Nutrition Services Supervisor Miranda Roehrig.
Currently, the school district offers two protein sources, grains, two vegetable choices and two fruit choices for lunch. Roehrig said DPS has not received guidance on the new dietary guidelines from the USDA and the Department of Public Instruction yet, but they anticipate changes soon. This comes as President Trump signed a bill allowing whole milk to be served with school lunches.
“There is evidence that younger kids do benefit from that full fat milk. We will have to see what USDA and DPI advise. It might be more of an option rather than switching everything over to whole milk,” she said.
By the sound of things, these changes won’t make much of a difference to 8-year-old Athena as long as her favorites are still served.
“Chocolate milk is the best,” she exclaimed.
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