Food Services

The Child Nutrition Programs employ more than 400 professionals that include field managers, cafeteria managers and assistant managers, technicians, warehouse foreman, and maintenance.

We provide approximately 23,000 lunches and 10,000 breakfasts daily at all 55 schools. Additionally, we implement the after-school snack program and summer feeding program at several schools.

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools Child Nutrition Programs' mission is to provide good nutrition that fuels successful learning.

We provide a variety of healthy food choices, meeting USDA standards. In addition, we educate our students regarding proper nutrition necessary for a healthy lifestyle and wellness. 

Nutritional Links for Parents & Teachers

Louisiana 2 Step
tips and ideas to eat right and move more

KidsHealth for Parents
lots of information about your child's health

The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics
nutrition info from food experts - registered dietitians

Nutritional Links for Students

KidsHealth
information, recipes, quizzes, and games all about nutrition and health

BAM! Body and Mind
learn about nutrition, diseases, exercise, and safety

Fuel Up to Play 60!
play games or keep track of your food intake and physical activity

Health and Wellness Tips for Successful College Years
getting prepared for a healthy future!

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools Child Nutrition Programs offer healthy meal choices for our students. Our menus offer a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, healthy entrees, and milk. Our schools serve school-made bread, and we make most of our entrees from scratch. School lunch, breakfast, and snacks are consistent with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines.

Our Child Nutrition Programs engage students across all grade levels. Students assist us with taste-tasting new items. The ProStart classes participate in our Cook-Off where they create their own school lunch menu and promote to the students.

Get your child's day started with a healthy breakfast. In addition to the posted menu, all schools offer dry cereal, fruit, juice, and milk daily. Eating breakfast before starting the school day is linked to improved concentration, better test scores, increased energy, improved behavior, and a healthier body weight.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

mail:

U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or

fax:
(833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or

email:
Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools Wellness Guidance

Purpose

This Wellness Policy establishes a formal system of building a school environment that is safe and healthy, thereby enhancing the potential for academic achievement among students. Students need access to healthful foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow and learn.

The St. Tammany Parish School Board is committed to providing school environments that promote and protect children's health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity habits. The School Food Service Director will serve as the coordinator of the Wellness Policy.

Members of the School Health Advisory Committee (SHAC), formerly known as the Wellness Policy Committee will include students, parents, teachers, food service professionals, health professionals, and other interested community members in developing, implementing, monitoring, and reviewing district-wide nutrition and physical activity policies.

Nutrition Services

Qualified Child Nutrition Program professionals will provide students with access to a variety of affordable, nutritious, and appealing foods that meet the health and nutrition needs of students; will accommodate the special dietary needs and cultural diversity of the student body in meal planning; and will provide clean, safe, and pleasant settings and adequate time for students to eat.

School Meals

St. Tammany Parish Public Schools will:

1. Offer menus that meet the meal patterns and nutrition standards established by the USDA Child Nutrition Program and the Louisiana Department of Education.
2. Encourage students, school staff, and families to participate in school meal programs.
3. Ensure that food safety and sanitation are followed throughout the school, including providing facilities to wash hands before meal service.
4. Ensure that school meals are accessible to all students with a variety of delivery strategies such as grab-and-go meals or alternate eating sites.
5. Ensure that students receive adequate time to eat breakfast and lunch. (Refer to Recess Before Lunch for recess and lunch recommendations.)
6. Provide a cafeteria environment that is conducive to a positive dining experience, with socializing among students and between students and adults and with supervision of eating areas by adults who model proper conduct and voice level.

Foods and Beverages Offered Outside of the Child Nutrition Programs

Foods and beverages sold to students must meet specific nutritional criteria if sold on the grounds at any time during a period beginning one-half hour before the start of the school day and ending one-half hour after the end of the school day. (Refer to Smart Snacks in Schools and Louisiana Smart Snacks Listing).

Schools should discourage the use of foods and beverages as rewards for student accomplishment. Schools are encouraged to provide healthful food and beverage choices at school parties. Schools should promote fundraisers that sell items other than food and beverages or only foods and beverages that are nutrient dense (low in calories and high in nutrients.

It is recommended that schools have suggested guidelines in the student handbook regarding all outside foods brought into the school cafeteria.

Nutrition Education

School-based nutrition education includes traditional classroom lessons. It is taught in health education and science classes and can be integrated into core content area of instruction across the curriculum. A planned, sequential curriculum where the lessons are aligned with standards, benchmarks, and grade-level expectations is essential to impact knowledge, attitude, and behavior. The cafeteria can be used as part of the total educational system for modeling behavior.

Schools will:

1. Implement nutrition education programs that promote lifelong healthful eating practices that are research-based.
2. Use lessons that are age-appropriate, behaviorally focused content that is developmentally appropriate and culturally relevant.
3. Use curriculum and lessons that are sequential and are correlated with standards, benchmarks, and grade level expectations.
4. Provide hands-on activities that are fun and engaging.
5. Promote positive aspects of healthful eating behaviors.
6. Cafeteria will serve as learning laboratories by providing nutrition information.

Physical Education and Activity

Schools will:

1. Implement quality physical education programs that emphasize and promote participation in lifelong physical activities and reaching a health enhancing level of physical fitness among all students.
2. The physical education lessons should be aligned with standards, benchmarks, and grade-level expectations.
3. Provide all students physical education and physical activity that meet or exceed the minimum standards established by the Louisiana Department of Education.
4. Ensure enough age-appropriate and safe equipment is in place to guarantee that all students are able to be active for physical education and physical activity.
5. Ensure qualified, certified physical education teachers guide physical activity instruction in all elementary grades as well as in middle and high school physical education classes.
6. Provide staff development on standards implementation for physical education instructors.
7. Provide daily recess for all children in K-8th grade. (Refer to Recess Before Lunch for recess and lunch recommendations.)
8. Encourage physical activity during recess for elementary students, intramurals programs, and clubs, as well as in physical education programs.

Communication

At the beginning of each school year, no later than the end of the first quarter, the SHAC will share a summary of the Wellness Policy with school staff and faculty, students, and parents via the school food services web page. Updates to the Policy may be highlighted and discussed.

Schools are encouraged to provide a link to the Wellness Policy on their web page

Monitoring and Evaluation

 The School Health Advisory Committee will evaluate the policy annually and revise as necessary.

Full Plan with Attachments

 

Each school develops a custom menu each month. Please refer to the school website or contact the school cafeteria for menus.

School meals are planned by our certified field managers with input from our director who is a registered dietitian. Students are offered a choice of nutritionally balanced lunches and breakfasts that meet or exceed the USDA standards and reflect the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Student preferences are determined through surveys and taste parties. The feedback received plays a major role in our menu offerings. Low cost, nutritious school meals are served to more than 23,000 customers every day.

If a child has been determined by a doctor to be disabled and the disability prevents the child from eating the regular school meals, schools will make any substitutions.  If a substitution is prescribed, there will be no extra charge for the meal. If your child needs substitutions because of a disability, please have a physician or recognized medical authority complete the “Prescription for School Meal Modification” form.  Dietary requests will be valid only for the school year in which they are written and will expire at the end of each school year. A signature from a physician or other recognized medical authority is required.

Special Diets Required Form

Meal Account Refund Form

Meal Account Transfer Form

Through district participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), all students enrolled in St. Tammany Parish Public Schools have the opportunity to eat a free breakfast and a free lunch every day during school year 2024-2025. Parents/guardians are not required to complete an application for meal benefits for their child or children. The only requirement for participation in this program is for the child or children to be enrolled in one of St. Tammany Parish Public Schools.

All enrolled students are eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch at school at no charge to your household. No further action is required of you. However, students will still be required to pay for extra meals, a la carte sales items, and extra sales items; as these items are not included in the CEP.

Non-Discrimination Statement : In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at How to File a Program Discrimination Complaint and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov. USDA is an equal opportunity provider.

Starting in summer 2024, Louisiana SUN Bucks, also referred to as Summer EBT, will provide families with $120 for each eligible school-aged child to buy groceries during the summer break.

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