Parents Welcome for Lunch

Parents are welcome to have lunch at any of the schools. If you are planning on eating at an elementary building, please let the school secretary know by 9:00 AM so plans can be made.

Food Substitutions

Can children with disabilities get food substitutions?

If a child has a disability as determined by a licensed physician, and the disability prevents the child from eating regular school meals, the school will make substitutions prescribed by the licensed physician at no extra charge for the meal. Please note: the school is not required to make a substitution for a food allergy, unless it meets the definition of disability. A note from the licensed physician is required each year.

For your child to receive a food substitution, you must have a completed Disability/Medical Condition Statement for Foods Served at School (pdf) form on file in the Nutrition Services Office at  1100 Linn St, Atlantic, Iowa 50022.  If you have any questions, please contact DeeAnn Schreiner, Food Service Director  at 712-243-5369.

Healthy Snack Ideas

Beverages

• 100% Juices – juice boxes/pouches
• Waters
• Skim or 1% Milks, flavored or unflavored

Snacks

• Animal Crackers
• Bagels and Low Fat Cream Cheese
• Baked Chips or Crackers – Baked Doritos/Cheetos/Lays/Tostitos, Sunchips, Quaker Goldfish Crackers
• 100 Calorie Snack Packs
• Graham Crackers
• Ritz Air Crisps
• Breakfast & Cereal Bars/Cereal Mixes – Nutrigrain Bars, Quaker Fruit & Oatmeal Bars/Bites
• General Mills Milk ‘n Cereal Bars (Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs), Chex Mix
• Dried Fruits – Raisins, Cranberries
• Fresh Fruit – Grapes, Berries, Melon Balls/Wedges, Fruit Kabobs, Fruit with Dipping Sauce
• Fresh Vegetables – Baby Carrots, Vegetable Sticks/Buds w/ Low Fat Dip
• Frozen Fruits Juice Pops – 100% Fruit, Cool Daze Fruit Pops
• Fruit Bowls or Fruit Parfaits – Dole Fruit, Unsweetened Applesauce
• Granola Bars – Nature Valley, Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, Kudos Chocolate Chip/M&M Flavor, Keebler Journey Bars
• Low Fat Yogurts & Go-gurt
• Low Fat Muffins
• Low Fat/Low Sugar Cookies – Snackwells Chocolate Crème/Vanilla Crème, Famous Amos Low Fat Ginger Snaps/Lemon Snaps/Oatmeal Raisin
• Low Fat & Low Sugar Pudding Cups
• Low Fat String Cheese
• Nuts – all varieties, Sunflower Seeds (Note: may be allergens in some children and may be choking risk in kindergarten)
• Popcorn – reduced fat microwave or popcorn made w/ canola oil (monounsaturated oil)
• Pretzels – Hard and Soft
• Reduced Fat Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt/Sherbet – Cool Daze Ice Cream Sandwiches/Fudge Bars/Pudding Pops
• String Cheese, low fat
• Rice Cakes
• Rice Krispie Treats – original flavor
• Teddy Grahams/Elf Grahams
• Trail Mix – Dried Fruits & Nuts (Note: may be allergens in some children)
• Welch’s Fruit Snacks

Foods of Minimal Nutritional Value

Federal regulations prohibit the sale of certain foods, determined to be of minimal nutritional value, in the foodservice area during meal periods.  The foods that are restricted are as follows:

• Soda Water – any carbonated beverages/pop. No product shall be excluded from this definition because it contains discrete nutrients added to the food such as vitamins, minerals and protein.
• Water Ices – any frozen, sweetened water such as "….sicles" and flavored ice with the exception of products that contain fruit or fruit juice.
• Chewing Gum – any flavored products from natural or synthetic gums and other ingredients that form an insoluble mass for chewing.
• Hard Candies – a product made predominantly from sugar and corn syrup that may be flavored and colored, is characterized by a hard brittle texture and includes such items as sour balls, lollipops, fruit balls, candy sticks, starlight mints, after dinner mints, jaw breakers, sugar wafers, rock candy, cinnamon candies, breath mints and cough drops.
• Jellies and Gums – a mixture of carbohydrates that are combined to form a stable gelatinous system of jellylike character and are generally flavored and colored, and include gum drops, jelly beans, jellied and fruit-flavored slices.
•  Marshmallow Candies – an aerated confection composed of sugar, corn syrup, invert sugar, 20% water, and gelatin or egg white to which flavors and colors may be added.
• Fondant – a product consisting of microscopic-sized sugar crystals that are separated by a thin film of sugar and/or invert sugar in solution such as candy corn and soft mints.
• Licorice – a product made predominantly from sugar and corn syrup that is flavored with an extract made from the licorice root.
• pun Candy – a product that is made from sugar that has been boiled at high temperature and spun at a high speed in a special machine.
• Candy Coated Popcorn – popcorn that is coated with a mixture made predominantly from sugar and corn syrup.