Healthier lunch choices at Brevard schools may increase price

Cost may jump 10 cents per meal

MELBOURNE, Fla. – Cupcakes for sale in Brevard Public Schools will soon be made with "whole grain-rich" flour -- and apple sauce, to reduce fat.

Schools are rolling out a revamped menu this fall, part of federal guidelines requiring healthier meals.

The school district is being required to offer food with 100 percent "whole grain-rich" products, or have a fruit, vegetable, dairy or protein as the first ingredient, for example.

They'll still be pizza and chocolate chip cookies, they'll just be lower in calories, sugar and sodium, and made with 100 percent whole grain crust or cookie dough.

Brevard School Board members may up the price of school lunches this year by 10 cents each. Officials say fruits, vegetables and whole grains cost more.

Prices could increase for elementary lunches to $1.80, and high school to $1.90. Officials are expected to vote at their July 31 meeting on the changes.

The district's Office of Food and Nutrition Services has been revamping recipes and taste-testing with students.

Still, they're expecting revenue earned from a la carte items to fall by 20 percent.

A popular seller, Gatorade and Gatorade G2, for example, will no longer be sold in middle schools, which are only being allowed to offer water, milk and 100 percent juice.

And at the high school level, only Gatorade G2 will be sold, which has less sodium and calories than the regular Gatorade drink.

Changes are part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

In addition, schools will no longer be selling vanilla ice cream cups, for example. Instead, they'll be fudge bars and frozen yogurt.


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