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Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Nutrition Standards for National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs; Stallings VA, West Suitor C, Taylor CL, editors. School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2010.

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School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children.

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Appendix MSample Menus

This appendix contains four weeks of sample menus for breakfast and lunch for elementary, middle, and high school and a prototype of a menu checking tool developed by the committee. In some cases in the menus that follow, food descriptions are more limited than they should be when planning actual menus. The committee did not have access to a complete, up-to-date nutrient data base that covers all the many food products available for use in school meals, and these products differ somewhat among school districts. See discussion of limitations of the nutrient analyses in under “Criterion 1” in Chapter 9. The food items used in the menus were derived from the third School Nutrition Dietary Assessment study database and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies.

LIST OF TABLES

TABLE M-1. Sample Breakfast Menus: Elementary School.

TABLE M-1

Sample Breakfast Menus: Elementary School.

TABLE M-2. Sample Breakfast Menus: Middle School.

TABLE M-2

Sample Breakfast Menus: Middle School.

TABLE M-3. Sample Breakfast Menus: High School.

TABLE M-3

Sample Breakfast Menus: High School.

TABLE M-4. Sample Lunch Menus: Elementary School.

TABLE M-4

Sample Lunch Menus: Elementary School.

TABLE M-5. Sample Lunch Menus: Middle School.

TABLE M-5

Sample Lunch Menus: Middle School.

TABLE M-6. Sample Lunch Menus: High School.

TABLE M-6

Sample Lunch Menus: High School.

TABLE M-7. Menu Checking Tool Prototype.

TABLE M-7

Menu Checking Tool Prototype.

PURPOSE OF THE SAMPLE MENUS

The sample menus that appear in this appendix are meant to illustrate how the recommended standards for meal planning may be translated into menus in a variety of circumstances. They are not intended to serve as cycle menus. Sample menus were planned using the recommended standards for meal planning (Table S-2). Additional elements that were considered included the following:

  • Customer appeal and preferences
    • Color and appearance on the line
    • Variety in flavors and food textures
    • Combinations that go well together
    • Examples of selections that may reflect
      • Region of country
      • Demographics (age of students, ethnic background, religious considerations)
  • Cost
  • Examples that may be suitable for food service operations that differ in
    • Organizational structure (kitchen and cafeteria)
    • Equipment
    • Staff
    • School environment—serving and eating space and time

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE SAMPLE MENUS

c

Cup

g

Grams

LC

Low-calorie

LF

Low-fat

LS

Low-sodium

oz

Ounce

RC

Reduced-calorie

RF

Reduced-fat

T

Tablespoon

WG

Whole grain

WW

Whole wheat

Copyright 2010 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Bookshelf ID: NBK219981
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