Question: I’m in high-school now, but during the summer I lost a lot of weight. Given what high schools usually serve at lunch (chicken ranchero wraps, pasta salads, Lasagna, enchiladas, etc…), what are some good choices?
Answer: School lunches are federally funded and regulated. The lunches are required to meet nutritional standards set by federal law in order to be eligible for reimbursement. The guidelines regulating school lunches require a maximum of 30% of calories can be derived from fat and only 10% can be from saturated fats. The lunches must provide 1/3 of the RDAs for protein, vitamin a, vitamin c, iron, calcium, and calories. The selection of ‘fried foods’ offered for school lunches are normally baked and comprised of low-fat ingredients so that the foods will meet the federal requirements.
The optional items available in school cafeterias that are not considered as nutritious and healthy are usually the ‘ala carte’ options. These are the items sold separate from the lunches and are not part of the actual meal. If you want to eat a healthy and nutritious meal, avoid these items. Do not purchase a soda with your meal. Make sure that you select options included with the offered lunch. Select at least one vegetable or fruit from the menu. And eat the portion provided with the school lunch. Try not to supplement with additional sides or ‘extras’ from other students.
So as long as you choose options that are part of the actual lunch being offered, your choice should be healthy. Schools often provide menus that supply nutritional data from the daily lunch, i.e. calories, fat, and saturated fats. If your school doesn’t offer this information, perhaps talk to an administrator and request that the information be furnished and available to students.