Changes to school lunch guidelines to have little local effect

    As a new rule goes into effect Feb. 11, parents may wonder if the relaxed school lunch and breakfast requirements will impact their children in Holyoke schools. According to Traci Berg of Chartwells K12, which is contracted to provide the school’s meal services, Holyoke will likely see little change.
     Changes won’t take place until the 2019-20 school year, which officially begins July 1, and whole grains, milk and sodium requirements will be affected. Nationally, whole grain requirements will see big changes. Since SY 2014-15, all grains offered for both breakfast and lunch must be whole grain-rich, meaning the product contains at least 50 percent whole grains and the remaining grain content must be enriched. The new rule extends state agencies’ option to allow products that are not whole grain-rich on the menu.
    Holyoke, Berg explained, has already been including products that are not whole grain-rich, as the school applied for and received a waiver for SY 2017-18 and SY 2018-19. The new rule will mean Holyoke can continue serving white tortillas and pasta without having to apply for that waiver each year.

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