New school rules for healthier lunch food

When students return to school in a few weeks, the biggest changes they might see are in the food they eat. It will be healthier and served in smaller portions, with more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and less trans fat and sodium.

The food transformation is the result of the US Department of Agriculture’s first major rewriting of nutritional guidelines for government-subsidized school lunches and breakfasts in more than 15 years. Take a look at some upcoming changes.

1. Less fatty options

The new state regulations, which took effect Aug. 1, ban deep-fat fryers in school kitchens and trans fat in “competitive food’’ — all food anything sold in schools outside the subsidized school lunches and breakfasts.

Students who get school lunch will be required to have at least one vegetable or piece of fruit on their tray.

Foods like pizza won’t disappear from school lunch menus but they will become healthier.

2. Fruits and vegetables

Students will be offered substantially more fruits and vegetables in school lunches. Fruits and unfried vegetables must be offered anywhere that food is sold in schools, other than vending machines that are either unrefrigerated or that only sell beverages.

The fate of chocolate milk is still murky. The new state and federal regulations have different standards for flavored milk this year, and state standards are more restrictive. The federal school meal rules require flavored milk sold with meals to be either low fat or fat free. The state standards limit say milk sold anywhere else at school to must have less than 22 grams of total sugar.

3. More grains

Half of grains in school lunches must be whole grain-rich.

4. Less juice

Juice sold a la carte or in vending machines must be 4 oz. (1/2 cup) or less.

5. Counting calories

All foods sold a la carte, except entrees, must be 200 calories or less.

By the 2013-2014 academic year, schools must offer students nutritional information on all competitive food and beverages that are not prepackaged, except for fresh fruit and vegetables.