Cafeteria
Melissa Simpson, Cafeteria Manager
(518) 284-2266
msimpson@sharonsprings.org
MySchoolBucks (Keep Track of Your Childs Lunch Account and More!)
Letter to Parents for School Meal Programs 23-24
Free and Reduced Price Meal Application
Breakfast Is the Most Important Meal of the Day
Breakfast has been proven to be the most important meal of the day. We know that mornings can be really crazy. The alarm doesn’t go off, the kids don’t want to get up, there’s no time to eat breakfast before the bus comes, or they’re just not ready to eat.
If this sounds like your mornings, always remember that breakfast is available weekday mornings from 7:45-8:15 at SSCS and includes options such as cold or hot cereal, bagels with cream cheese, homemade coffee cake, homemade muffins, homemade turnovers and homemade cinnamon buns. Along with the entree, we offer juice, fruit & milk.
Take advantage of this option to ensure your child eats a nutritious breakfast. Recent studies show a link between nutrition and learning. A nutritious breakfast helps students be more alert so they can actively participate in class.
Start your day on the right foot. Your child will find breakfast at school provides not only a nutritious meal, but also a relaxed atmosphere for socializing with friends and siblings.
The USDA Summer Meals Hotline: 1-866-3-HUNGRY or text “FOOD” to 877-877
Families will receive assistance to find the location, meal times, and contact information for summer meals based on their full address, city and/or zip code. The summer meals finder is located in the USDA Department of Agriculture website. This website is easy for families to use as they can access summer meal locations by entering their zip code. No paperwork is necessary. Must be 18 years old or younger.
Smart Snacks
The Smart Snacks in School guidelines stipulate that all foods sold in school must be a “whole grain rich” product, meaning they contain 50 percent whole grains or have whole grains as the first ingredient OR have as the first ingredient a fruit, a vegetable, a dairy product or a protein-rich food. Combination foods that contain at least ¼ cup fruit and/or vegetable or naturally contain 10 percent of the daily value (DV) of calcium, potassium, vitamin D or dietary fiber will also be accepted.
Calorie limits:
- Snacks must contain less than or equal to 200 calories
- A la carte entrees must contain less than or equal to 350 calories
Sugar limits:
- Snacks must contain less than or equal to 35 percent sugar by weight
- There are exemptions for dried fruit without added sugars and even those with added nutritive sweeteners that are required for processing and/or palatability purposes (such as cranberries, tart cherries, and blueberries). The USDA will be providing more guidance on this particular exemption in the coming months. Products that consist of only dried fruit with nuts and/or seeds with no added nutritive sweeteners or fat will also be exempt.
Sodium limits:
- Snacks must contain less than or equal to 200mg sodium
- A la carte entrees must contain equal or less than 480mg
Fat limits:
- Total fat must be less than or equal to 35 percent of calories
- Saturated fat must be less than or equal to 10 percent of calories
- There must be no trans-fat in the product, per the label
- There are exemptions for nuts and seeds, nut & seed butters, seafood and part-skim mozzarella cheese
Beverage limits differ based on grade level:
- Allowable beverages for all students are limited to plain water (carbonated or uncarbonated), low-fat milk (unflavored) and nonfat milk (including flavored), nutritionally equivalent milk alternatives (as permitted by the school meal requirements), and full strength fruit or vegetable juices and full strength fruit and vegetable juice diluted with water or carbonated water. With the exception of water, which has no portion limit, beverages are limited to 8 fluid ounces for elementary schools, and 12 fluid ounces for middle and high schools. With the exception of trace naturally occurring caffeine, beverages must be caffeine-free for elementary and middle schools.
Beverage limits for high school:
- Calorie free beverages are allowed in up to 20oz containers (less than five calories per 8 ounce serving or less than or equal to 10 calories per 20 fluid ounces)
- For lower calories drinks, up to 40 calories per 8 ounces will be accepted while 60 calories per 12 ounces will also be accepted
- Caffeine is permitted in beverages
- Please note, these rules do not apply to foods brought from home as bagged lunches or for birthday parties, off campus fundraisers, athletic events and school plays or foods sold during non-school hours.
