School Meals
Good nutrition and learning go hand in hand!
The Food & Nutrition Services department is made up of a team of food & nutrition professionals that are dedicated to students’ health and their ability to learn. We support learning by promoting healthy habits for lifelong nutrition and fitness.
The Food & Nutrition Services department operates several federal and state food programs. The program is designed to operate on a non-profit basis.
Meals, foods and beverages sold or served in schools must meet state and federal regulations which are based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines. We offer a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk, whole grains and protein. We believe that properly nourishing students maximizes their learning experience and always putting students first!
NEW - Linq Connect!
We are excited to introduce Linq Connect - a new website for parents to manage their child’s meal account balances and monitor their spending by reviewing their purchases; complete the on-line application for free and reduced-price meals; and see what’s on the menu at your child’s school.
LINKS & Resources
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- American Dairy Association
- Dole Super Kids Nutrition
- Food Allergies Guide
- FoodSafety.Gov
- Fruits and Veggies More Matters Month
- Institute of Child Nutrition
- No Kid Hungry
- Partnership for Food Safety Education
- USDA Core Nutritional Messages
- USDA National Agricultural Library
- USDA Team Nutrition
School Meals at WCPS
Serving Students
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National School Lunch Program
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or no-cost lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946.
Learn more about Offer vs Serve for NSLP.
School Meals must meet state and federal requirements based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines.
WCPS follows a 2-week Breakfast cycle menu and a 4-week Lunch Cycle Menu.
School Breakfast Program
WCPS participates in the SBP. We serve breakfast meals meeting Federal nutrition requirements and offer free or reduced-price breakfast to all eligible children.
For more information, visit:
School Breakfast Program (SBP) Fact Sheet
Benefits of School Breakfast
Research shows that children who participate in school breakfast:
- Are less likely to experience food insecurity
- Are better able to learn
- Are less likely to be overweight
- Exhibit better behavior at school
- Consume a healthier overall diet
- Demonstrate improved academic performance
- Are less likely to be late to or absent from school
Smart Snacks
This policy applies to snack foods and beverages sold in elementary, middle and high schools throughout the state of Maryland.
The school day is defined as the period from 12:01 a.m. until 30 minutes after the end of the instructional day.
Under Smart Snacks in Schools, competitive foods must:
- Be a “whole grain-rich” grain product; or
- Have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product, or a protein food; or
- Be a combination food that contains at least ¼ cup of fruit and/or vegetable; or
- Contain 10% of the Daily Value (DV) of one of the nutrients of public health concern in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (calcium, potassium, vitamin D, or dietary fiber).
Foods must also meet several nutrient requirements:
- Calorie limits:
- Snack items: ≤ 200 calories
- Entrée items: ≤ 350 calories
- Sodium limits:
- Snack items: ≤ 200 mg
- Entrée items: ≤ 480 mg
- Fat limits:
- Total fat: ≤ 35% of calories
- Saturated fat: < 10% of calories
- Trans-fat: zero grams
- Sugar limit: ≤ 35% of weight from total sugars in foods
Beverages
All schools may sell:
- Plain water or plain carbonated water allowed in any size.
- Unflavored or flavored fat-free or low-fat milk (1% or less) and USDA approved milk alternatives (soy milk & lactose free milk).
- 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Limit serving size to maximum of 6 fl oz. in elementary schools and maximum 12 fl oz. in middle & high school.
- 100% fruit or vegetable juice diluted with water (with or without carbonation, and no added sweeteners. Limit serving size to maximum of 6 fl oz. in elementary schools and maximum 12 fl oz. in middle & high school.
Elementary & Middle Schools
- The sale of beverages in elementary and middle schools is limited to water,1% low fat or fat free milk, and 100% fruit or vegetable juice.
High Schools
- High Schools may sell additional “no calorie” and “lower calorie” beverage options, must be caffeine free.
- Offerings may include no more than 20-ounce portions of calorie-free, flavored water (with or without carbonation) and other flavored and/or carbonated beverages that contain < 5 calories per 8 fluid ounces or ≤ 10 calories per 20 fluid ounces.
- High schools may also offer no more than 12-ounce portions of beverages with ≤ 40 calories per 8 ounces, or ≤ 60 calories per 12 ounces.