Feeding Your Children is our Business
About our Program
The food service department of Morgan County Public Schools administers the United States Department of Agriculture National School Breakfast and Lunch Program in our schools. In addition, SCNS sponsors the Summer Food Service Program in many sites during the summer.
Representatives of Morgan County Food Service are active in the Kentucky School Nutrition Association, the National School Nutrition Association, and other groups interested in improving the school nutrition environment in schools.
School lunches are planned to provide one third of the recommended dietary allowances for school-age children. All Morgan County students are encouraged to select a complete lunch, however, under the “Offer vs. Serve” regulation they are allowed to select three, four or five items. Menus are planned to include a variety of choices, and changes have been made in food specifications and preparation to lower sodium, fat, and sugar in school meals.
National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program
Of the approximately 1,900 students in Morgan County, approximately 1,600 (average) or 90% participate daily in the school lunch program. Over 1,070 (average) or 63.5% of our students start their day right with a healthy school breakfast. School meals must meet USDA nutrition requirements based on the most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, including an age/grade appropriate calorie range, no more than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat, no trans fat, and appropriate ranges of sodium.
Morgan County School and Community Nutrition Services uses food-based menu planning, which requires school meals to offer servings from specific food groups, with minimum serving sizes. A school lunch includes five food components: meat/meat alternate, fruit, vegetable, grains/bread and milk. A student may choose three (3), four (4), or all five (5) components to have a reimbursable meal. Students must choose a fruit or vegetable. School breakfast offers four components: milk, fruit or juice, grains/breads and meat/meat alternate. A student must choose at least three of the components to have a reimbursable meal.
Kentucky Nutrition Guidelines
Snacks:
- No more than 30% calories from fat (exceptions: reduced fat cheese, nuts, seeds, nut butters)
- No more than 32% added sugar by weight (max. 14 grams)(exceptions: fresh, frozen, canned or dried fruits and vegetables)
- No more than 300 mg sodium per serving
- Portion/pack size limits:
-
Chips, crackers, popcorn, trail mix, nuts, seeds or jerky – 2 ounces
-
Frozen dessert items – 4 ounces
-
Non-frozen yogurt – 8 ounces
-
Cereal bars, granola bars, pastries, muffins, bagels, or other pastry-type items – 2 ounces
-
Cookies – 1 ounce
-
-
Beverages:
-
•Milk, 1% skim, white and flavored
-
•Non-carbonated water containing zero calories, plain or flavored
-
•100% fruit or vegetable juice or any combination equaling 100%
-
•Any other beverage containing no more than 10 grams of sugar per serving
-
•Volume limited to 17 oz. in elementary schools; 20 oz. in secondary schools, except for water
Commodity Use
High-quality, government-donated commodities are used in school lunches and breakfasts. Flour, cheese, beans, fruits, vegetables, ground beef, turkey, and other foods declared surplus by the USDA are available to schools. Morgan County also receives a portion of its commodity-dollar value in fresh fruits and vegetables purchased through the Department of Defense buying network. This program has enabled Morgan County students to enjoy fresh items like kiwi fruit, pineapple spears, strawberries, tangerines, mini-carrots, and celery sticks.
A La Carte
Planned menu items are available for a la carte purchase at the published a la carte prices. Additional snacks and beverages that meet Kentucky nutrition standards may also be available for sale. A la carte purchases may be prohibited, or restricted, by written parental request.
Program Costs
Commodities meet approximately one-quarter of the total food costs for School and Community Nutrition Services. The remaining costs are covered by reimbursements from the USDA and from income generated through a la carte and meal sales to students and adults.
School Lunch costs
$0.00 for students (Elem. Middle/High)
School Breakfast costs
$0.00 for students (Elem. Middle/High
Adult meals cost
$2.00 for breakfast at any level (Elem./Middle/High)
$3.00 for lunch at any level (Elem./Middle/High)
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
Select USDA Nondiscrimination Statement for Full statement