School breakfasts and lunches in Florida will be a little different this year, as new rules make it easier to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet or other dietary restrictions.
Under the new rules, beans, peas, and lentils count toward meat requirements for students, and nuts and seeds can fulfill the whole requirement.
Experts say this will make it easier for schools to offer vegan and vegetarian options to students, which might include high-protein yogurt, eggs, and tofu.
Students may also request a substitute for school milk if they follow a vegan diet, or if they have a milk allergy.
On top of this, Shannon Gleave, president of the School Nutrition Association said many schools are adding more culturally relevant food options for the first time ever.
“We're seeing choices like street tacos, jerk chicken. We've been experimenting a little bit in my school, working on doing birria tacos and birria burrito bowls,” said Gleave.
Child nutrition programs can now label foods, so that kids know whether foods are locally grown, caught or raised and schools can offer traditionally Indigenous foods.
In schools with large Native populations, or run by the Bureau of Indian Education, vegetables like yams and plantains can replace traditional grain requirements.
Gustavo Balderas, the School Superintendents Association President said all of this, is a gamechanger for the country’s diverse student populations.
“We prioritized adding more culturally relevant foods to our menus. School Food is a powerful gateway to build a sense of belonging in our diverse school community,” said Balderas.
The new rules made the news in April, when they were first introduced, as they also limit the amount of added sugars and sodium in school foods.
The rules took effect July 1. Click here for a summary of the rules. And check out ideas and options that students with different dietary needs and restrictions might find at school this year:
Copyright 2024 Central Florida Public Media
