Comparing old and new school lunches

May 19, 2013

Healthy eating

New nutritional rules have changed Dedham’s school lunches, but they’re often costlier and less popular.

Old lunch

►6-inch sub roll: 2 ounces of meat, 1 ounce of cheese (too much bread and meat for new regulations)

►Pretzels: 0.5-ounce bag (too much bread)

►Caesar salad (student favorite, not offered as often because of vegetable variety requirements)

►Fresh fruit cup

►Milk

►Average cost of vegetable serving: 13 cents

New lunch

►4-inch French roll: 1.75 ounces of meat, 0.5 ounce of cheese

►Kale salad (fresher ingredients, more expensive, less popular)

►Bean salad (unpopular; often thrown away)

►Canned fruit (one serving of fruit and vegetables required daily; canned fruit cuts costs)

►Average cost of vegetable serving: 23 cents

SOURCE: Dedham Public Schools