Nutrition Services
Welcome to Marion Center Area School District Nutrition Services
Marion Center Area School District recognizes that student wellness and proper nutrition are related to students’ physical wellbeing, growth, development, and readiness to learn. We are committed to providing a school environment that promotes wellness, proper nutrition, nutrition education, and regular physical activity as part of the total learning experience. In a healthy school environment, students will learn about and participate in positive dietary and lifestyle practices that can improve student achievement.
MCASD Nutrition Services
We believe that the breakfast and lunch programs are part of the educational system. We are responsible for teaching children nutrition as well as offering new & exciting food items. We strive to make the lunch menus appealing and encourage the children to eat meals at school. We closely monitor food preferences while trying to introduce new foods.
History of School Food Services
School food service is the world’s largest food service business, serving more meals a day than the fast food industry. School lunch has often been referred to as the original fast food operation: serving millions of lunches across the United States in a time span of 1 ½ hours.
The National School Lunch Act of 1946 established the National School Lunch Program to safeguard the health and well being of our nation’s children. Studies found that the overall health of Americans as poor and many were malnourished. Minimum national requirements were defined. Prior to 1946, school lunches were done primarily by volunteer groups serving mostly cold meals.
School Meal Initiative and the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010
The third addition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was released in 1990 and triggered new guidelines for school meals. The School Meal Initiative is designed to meet 1/3 of the dietary guidelines for children for lunch. All school meals have an age appropriate calorie allowance, with less than 30% of the calories from fat and 12-15% of the calories from protein.
The Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 took school nutrition to an even greater standard of excellence by mandating increased fruits and vegetables in school meals, banning trans fats, reducing sodium levels, and mandating that all grains be whole grain rich.
Did you know….
The MCASD Nutrition Services staff has a combined 190 years of service to our students and is responsible for preparing and serving over 280 breakfasts and 850 lunches per day?
