OFFER VS SERVE

Dylis- Judith Mensah, Dietetic intern

Illinois State University
Overview
In this presentation we would look at
• an overview of the National School Lunch
Program
• Offer versus Serve
• Serving sizes
• Food Safety and hygiene
Overview of NSLP
• NSLP is a federally assisted meal program
• It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or
free lunches to children each school day
• Operates in public and nonprofit private
schools and residential childcare institutions
• Established under the National School Lunch
Act, signed by President Harry Truman in 1946
Free and Reduced Price Meals
• Children whose household income is at or
below 130 % of the federal poverty guidelines-
free meals
• Children whose household income is between
130-185 % copay  40 cents for lunch
• Children whose household income is over
185% of poverty pay full price for their meals
• Full price vary pe school year based on cost of food,
labor, supplies, equipment, utilities, state and local
district policies, etc
Factors that influence Price Meals
• In April 2019, USDA released the  
School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study, which
examined the cost of producing school meals
during school year 2014-15
• The average reported cost to produce a school
lunch was $3.81, compared to the average
federal free lunch subsidy of $3.32 (SNA, 2022)
• For 2022-2023 school year, do you think there will
be an increase or decrease?
• Think of events / factors that could influence cost
Requirements
for Meal
Content and
Quality
 MyPlate

MyTray
Requirements for Meal Content
and Quality
The Child Nutrition Programs: Transitional Standards
for Milk, Whole Grains, and Sodium Final Rule rule
effective July 2022
-provides immediate relief to schools during the
return to traditional school meal service following
extended use of COVID-19 meal pattern flexibilities
- helping schools build back from the uncertainty
caused by both the pandemic and several legislative
and administrative changes over the past several
years
Requirements for Meal Content and Quality
- Tailored to follow the Dietary guidelines for
Americans 2020 - 2025
Offer Versus Serve (OVS)
OVS is a meal service option that applies to the
determination of reimbursable school meals.
Allows students to decline (0, 1, or 2) components
offered in a school lunch
School must PREPARE all 5 components in required
amounts
Students may decline 2 food items but must take a fruit
or vegetable
Must TAKE at least 3 components in minimum required
amount
Options include: ½ cup serving fruit OR
½ cup serving vegetable OR
¼ cup serving fruit & ¼ cup vegetable = ½ cup With any of the
above options, students still have to select other components for
the meal to be considered reimbursable
Offer Versus Serve (OVS)
OVS is optional at lunch in lower grade
levels K-5 and 6-8
Considered best practice in:
• decreasing waste
• Increasing student/customer satisfaction
• Students eating better as they are allowed
choices
Serve requirements
 Complete or Incomplete Meal?

A B

C D
 Answers
A- Incomplete (only 2 components- Diary and Protein )
B- Complete (1/2 cup fruits +1/2 vegetables and diary)
the fruit & vegetables each count as a component
C- Incomplete (Grains, Protein and diary no fruits/
vegetable)
D- Complete (all components)

Note: There is also the issue of sizes that influence

complete or incomplete meals
Strategies to Increase Healthy Food
Selection and Decrease food waste
• Taste Testing
• Recess Before Lunch Scheduling
• Adequate time to eat (25 minutes)
• Offer Versus Serve (Post Covid)
• Fruit Share basket (for whole fruits with peels, unopened
milk and snacks- cheez it) (Post Covid)
• Cafeteria Redesign (eg: MyTray Bulletin Board)
• Nudging Techniques based on behavioral economics
cues- Smarter Lunchrooms (Giving fruits & vegetables
nice sounding names)
Ways to market fruits and
vegetables
• Serve with a smile and be polite
• Encourage them to eat fruits and vegetables
during lunchtime
• Enjoy you fruit or vegetables, signages, etc
• Make sure you stick to the requirements when
scooping (practice)- Don’t overserve or under
serve
• Smaller portions of food for smaller grades
• Sample Tray- Image for every meal
Serving sizes made easy
Ideas for improving nutrition
education
• Fun fact about a fruit and vegetables of the day
on the board/ during lunch
• Use positive language
 A section of power food during lunch “Say eat your
fruits and vegetables”
 Encourage students to eat lunch and teach that food is
the fuel of the body
 Food safety & Hygiene
• Taking temps when meals arrive
• Do not serve food when students are not yet ready to be
served
• Separate raw from cooked food
• Sanitizing hands periodically
• holding brooms in between meals, touching hair, badge etc.
and opening milk or handling a utensil that will go directly on a
child’s food
• Sanitizing utensils when they fall
• Sanitizing tables and changing water often- children put
food directly on table 
 Post COVID takeaways
• Frequent hand washing
• Sanitizing hands periodically
• holding brooms in between meals, touching hair, badge etc.
and opening milk or handling a utensil that will go directly on a
child’s food
• Sanitizing spoons & forks when they fall
• Sanitizing tables and changing water often- children put
food directly on table 
• Holding spoons and forks from the bottom not the part
that goes into the mouth
• If you go back to washing dishes
Utilize the 3 compartment sink always. Check pH levels
 References
Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service 7 CFR Parts 210 and 220
Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs;
Final Rule E:\FR\FM\26JAR2.SGM 26JAR2 tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with
RULES2. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2022, from www.regulations.gov

National School Lunch Program | Food and Nutrition Service. (n.d.). Retrieved
April 3, 2022, from https://www.fns.usda.gov/nslp

Scheidel, C. (n.d.). Reimbursable Meal Identification System. Retrieved April 18,

2022, from www.tinyurl.com/schoolnutritionstandards2012

School Meal Trends & Stats. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2022, from
https://schoolnutrition.org/aboutschoolmeals/schoolmealtrendsstats/