WELCOME BACK!

School is back in session and it’s time to refresh your memory about the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). All of the schools in the Littlestown School District participate in the NSLP. Since this is a federally regulated program there are many guidelines we must follow. One of the guidelines deals with the Type A meal, which is how the government refers to the school lunch. Each meal must contain four components (5 items): Grain/Bread-one serving, Meat/Meat Alternate-one serving, Fruit/Vegetable-2 servings, and Milk-one serving. Although every child is encouraged to take all five of the items required, your child may refuse up to two of the five items and the meal will still be considered a lunch. It is helpful for parents to discuss these menu options with their child ahead of time.

You may have seen this logo in the produce department at your grocery store. It is the logo for “Produce for Better Health Foundation” which is a new health initiative of the “5 A Day” campaign to promote the consumption of colorful fruits and vegetable. This program demonstrates that eating more fruit and vegetables does matter to all of us. It’s a great way to stay healthy and a perfect fit for busy lives. For more information, recipes, coloring pages for kids, etc., visit their website at:

www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/

Point of Sale

Any balances that were on your student’s Point of Sale lunch account on the last day of school have been carried over to this year. For those of you whose student’s were eligible for Free or Reduced Price lunches last year, those benefits have also carried over and will be in place until a new application is received OR through September 27^th at which time if a new application has not been received they will lose their benefit. Lunch applications can now be submitted online through the following website: www.compass.state.pa.us

Portion Sizes

Have you ever wondered what the right size portion is for your child? It might help to visualize the appropriate serving size by comparing it to familiar objects. Here are just a few examples:

Food	Average Serving Size	What it looks like
Meat	2-3 ounces	Deck of cards
Pasta or Rice	½ cup	Tennis ball or ice cream scoop
Peanut Butter	2 tablespoons	Ping Pong ball
Cheese	1 ounce	Four dice
Vegetables	½ cup	Light bulb