The U.S. government revises its Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) every five years, most recently in 2005. Based on that update, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is in the process of developing rules to apply the DGAs to school nutrition programs. Although it will take a few years to complete the process, there is no reason to wait to put the most recent guidelines into action.

In advance of the coming rules change, school nutrition programs should strive for the following seven main improvements in order to achieve the 2005 DGAs:

Food Groups to Encourage

• Whole grains: Schools should increase the amount of whole grain products offered to students, and progress towards the goal of making half of all grains offered and served whole grains. 
• Fruits and vegetables: Schools should increase the availability and service of both fruits and vegetables within the school meal programs. In the National school lunch program, school food authorities should provide meals that offer both fruit and vegetable, regardless of the menu planning approach being used.
• Milk: Schools should offer only low fat (1% milk or less) and fat-free milk in the school meal programs for all children above the age of two.

Nutrients Without Current Regulatory Benchmarks

• Sodium: Schools should begin reducing sodium incrementally, with long-term step-wise plan for meeting the DGAs recommendation.
• Fiber: Schools should plan meals that provide fiber ay level appropriate for each age/grade group that reflect the 2005 DGAs recommendation
• Cholesterol: Schools should plan meals that, on average over a school week, provide less than 100 mg of cholesterol at lunch and les than 75 mg of cholesterol at breakfast for all age/grade groups.
• Trans-fat: Schools should plan meals that minimize trans-fats.

Please visit http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/report/default.htm for details about the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.