School breakfasts and lunches in Florida will be a little different this year as new federal rules make it easier to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet or other dietary restrictions.
Beans, peas and lentils now count toward meat requirements, and nuts and seeds can fulfill the whole requirement.
Experts say this will make it easier for schools to offer vegan and vegetarian options, which might include high-protein yogurt, eggs and tofu.
Students may also request a substitute for school milk if they follow a vegan diet or have a milk allergy.
On top of this, Shannon Gleave, president of the nonprofit School Nutrition Association, said many schools are adding more culturally relevant options for the first time.
“We're seeing choices like street tacos, jerk chicken. We've been experimenting a little bit in my school, working on doing birria tacos and birria burrito bowls,” Gleave said. (Birria is a Mexican meat stew.)
Child nutrition programs can now label foods so that kids know whether foods are locally grown, caught or raised, and schools can offer traditionally Indigenous foods.
In schools with large Native populations, or run by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Education, vegetables like yams and plantains can replace traditional grain requirements.
Gustavo Balderas, president of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, said all of this is a game changer for the country’s diverse student populations.
“We prioritized adding more culturally relevant foods to our menus. School food is a powerful gateway to build a sense of belonging in our diverse school community,” said Balderas.
The guidelines, which also limit the amount of added sugars and sodium in school foods, were introduced in April by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They took effect July 1.
Click here for a summary of the rules.
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