Providing 'nutritious meals at an affordable price' is the priority in New Milford public schools

To the Editor:

This letter is in response to the letter to the Feb. 19 editor by Amber Langlois regarding her concerns about New Milford's school meals and the planned monthly menu.

I wish to assure you that, as the director of the New Milford Food and Nutrition Services and a registered dietitian, children's health, the prevention of obesity and providing nutritious meals at an affordable price are my top priorities.

I appreciate her concern regarding these issues.

New Milford public schools participate in the National School Lunch Program, which is regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the state of Connecticut.

The program is regulated to plan meals that meet the dietary guidelines for Americans, provide age-appropriate portions sizes and meal patterns to ensure students receive one third of the recommended dietary allowances.

Since taking this position 18 months ago I have instituted many positive changes to the lunch program and will continue to do so.

The following highlights some the changes I have instituted.

-Chef salad with whole grain roll.

-Bagel with low fat yogurt, low fat mozzarella string cheese.

-Deli sandwiches -- elementary.

-Deli bar -- secondary.

-Morningstar garden burgers.

-Low-fat yogurt parfait with school-made granola and fresh fruit.

-Hummus with baked pita chips and fresh vegetables.

-Vegetarian wraps.

-Omitted whole and two percent milk -- only one percent and skim are available.

-Increased fresh fruit choices.

-Increased fresh vegetable choices.

-Fresh baby spinach salads.

-Panini sandwiches.

With the meals, students have the option to choose from a variety of fresh vegetables, fresh or canned fruit, and 100 percent fruit juices.

The USDA recommendation for fruits and vegetables is five to nine servings per day and we are providing one third of the daily recommended intakes.

While not all of these options are available yet at the elementary schools, my plan is to institute the majority of these changes at all grade levels within the district.

I hope my letter helps to alleviate concerns that some parents may have about the nutritional value of our school meals.

Sandra Sullivan, RD, CD-N

New Milford