About Lunch

Minnetonka Nutrition Services participates in the National School Breakfast Program (SBP) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Starting the 2023-2024 School Year, one daily breakfast meal and one daily lunch meal will be available at no charge for all students under the Free School Meals Bill. Each meal must include a minimum of 1/2 cup fruit or vegetable and a minimum of 3 meal items to be considered a Free meal. Second meals/entrees, a la carte, Adult Breakfast and Adult Lunch will be available for purchase. 

Breakfast Nutrition Requirements

Breakfast meals are planned according to SBP requirements, with each meal consisting of one to two servings of grain, at least one serving of fruit and eight ounces fluid milk. Breakfast is available to all students before school starts as a convenient, grab & go style of service. 

Lunch Nutrition Requirements

Lunch meals are planned according to NSLP requirements, with each meal consisting of one to two ounces of meat or meat alternative, at least one serving of a fruit, a vegetable, grain or bread and eight ounces of milk. Serving sizes are those recommended in the USDA Dietary Guidelines. The serving sizes are appropriate to help teach students what a serving should look like. Choices of entrees are offered at each level to try to meet the food preference of students.

Offer vs. serve

The “Offer vs. Serve” federal regulation requires that students be offered rather than served the food items. Students can choose food items based on their preferences with one of those items being a 1/2 cup serving of a fruit or vegetable. Students are encouraged to take all of the food items offered because it provides a balanced meal for the best price.

Fruits and vegetables

Current research results reinforce the importance of fruits and vegetables in the diet. We continue to offer a wide variety of fruits and vegetables during Breakfast and Lunch. This year, we will continue to purchase fruits and vegetables from BIX Produce Company and participate in the Department of Defense Fresh Produce Program. This government program helps defray costs so we can offer more fruit and vegetable choices. Students who do not choose a fruit or vegetable must pay the cost of a non-federally funded meal.

Milk

Our school meal program is required to offer milk as one of the items during Breakfast and Lunch. A choice of skim or 1% milk is offered. For lunches brought from home or à la carte purchases, the price of a carton of milk is 50 cents.

Lactose-reduced milk

A lactose-reduced milk will be provided to students with their meal at no extra charge upon the written request of the parent or guardian. Please include the name, grade and child's school. Parent or guardian requests can be submitted to Jane Bender at jane.bender@minnetonkaschools.org.

Incomplete Meal Charges

"Incomplete" is a term we use when a student does not take what the USDA considers a "complete meal". A student must take a minimum of 1/2 cup of a fruit or vegetable and a minimum of 3 meal items to be considered a Free meal or "complete meal". When a student does not select a complete meal, we are not reimbursed by the federal and state agencies. If we are not reimbursed for the meal, we must pass those charges on to the cost of the student's meal. The incomplete meal cost reflects the actual cost of the meal. 

Healthy food