School meals balanced and nutritious

To the editor:

            Everyone is looking for good ideas that will help save them a few bucks each week.  Here is a great one - have your son or daughter eat a healthy school lunch for FREE instead of spending money on packing a lunch.

            Franklin County School breakfasts and lunches cost nothing for all enrolled children! However, according to the School Nutrition Association, independent research puts the average cost to prepare a sack lunch from home at $3.41 and a breakfast at $2.15. Each household can save about $1,000 for each child that eats breakfast and lunch at school over the course of the school year!

            But wait, there's more! On top of all the savings, the really good news is: school nutrition programs are providing nutritious, balanced meals that can help children reach and maintain a healthy weight. Meals served under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) must meet federal guidelines based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. No more than 30 percent of calories can come from fat and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. School lunches provide one-third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium and calories.

            Studies show students who eat school lunches consume less calories from fat and that school lunches contain twice as much fruit and seven times the vegetable amounts as lunches brought from home. With today's school lunches featuring fresh fruit, whole grains, and lean protein, you cannot go wrong dining in the school lunch room.

            The next time you are at the grocery store spending too much money on school lunch supplies - consider the nutritional and economic value of having your child eat a school lunch instead.

            Sincerely,

            Robin Tennille

            School Food Service