District Home. Select a School Select a School. Sign In. Search Our Site. Questions or Feedback? Our program is focused on exposing students to a variety of healthy options using flavorful ingredients. Our menus are developed with wholesome ingredients and an emphasis on the use of minimally processed ingredients. We use single-source, clean label products, and over 75 percent of the produce served is grown within the state of Florida.
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The older they are, the more choices they want to have. Changes to school menus in Duval County were driven by the national, and somewhat controversial, push by the First Lady to improve the nutritional standards of what students were eating in public schools.
The end result of that effort — the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act — had a major impact on what schools were allowed to serve and how they got their funding. Breakfast is , lunch is and snack is Each year the meal rate is recalculated based on several factors including the consumer price index, and then they are reimbursed by the Florida Department of Agricultural Consumer Services for serving students who qualify for free and reduced lunch programs, in addition to students who pay full price for lunch.
The new law continued an effort that was already going on in county schools, said Jane Zentko, who is the director of food services for Duval County Public Schools. Some of the major requirements under the law include reduced portion sizes, limits to the percentage of fat in milk and an overall increase in nutritional value, such as the use of whole grains.
The act also provides resources for schools to work with local farms, as well as increase the number of children from low-income houses that are allowed to reap the benefits of enhanced school menus. Those changes can be a challenge for a student population that has grown up with highly-processed food. Students are becoming more aware and health-conscious. Gaining acceptance for whole grains, for instance, has been an uphill battle.
School lunches are required to have 51 percent whole grains under the new law. Self said students at local schools were not initially eager to accept seemingly kid-friendly entrees of whole grain macaroni and cheese. Although there are challenges present with some changes the law has ushered in, it has also allowed more students to gain access to free or reduced lunch. In addition, 40 schools in Duval County have a universal free breakfast program, and many students are eligible for free lunch during the summers, bridging the three month gap when students may not have a reliable source for nutritious meals.
Zentko said the result of the increase in the number of students who can access school meals through free or reduced programs has brought with it heightened awareness of healthy food options.
Chartwells feels passionately about giving students equal access, serving the same menu at schools regardless of the number of students on free or reduced lunch programs.
The school system and Chartwells are working to give students access to both the basics and the things that make food and cooking fun.
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