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In this edition of Team Nutrition's School Meals Grab n' Go newsletter, we feature quick tips to reduce added sugars in your school breakfast menus. Limits on added sugars is one of the new nutrition standards outlined in the Final Rule - Child Nutrition Programs Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Helping children develop a healthy eating pattern that is lower in added sugars is important to their health and well-being, both now and later in life. Use these tips to reduce added sugars and to qualify for a Healthy Meals Incentives (HMI) Recognition Award!
1. Identify Sources of Added Sugars
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Understand the difference between “Total Sugars” and “Added Sugars.” Total sugars are equal to the amount of naturally occurring sugars plus the amount of added sugars in a food.
- Use tools such as the Nutrition Facts label, ingredient list, and nutrient analysis software to identify how much added sugars are in a product or recipe.
- Recognize the many names for added sugars such as: corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, honey, maple syrup, agave, etc.
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Identify top sources of added sugars in your school breakfast meals that may include: sweetened cereals, syrups, toppings (i.e., frosting), toaster pastries, donuts, flavored yogurt, and flavored milk.
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2. Reduce Added Sugars in Menus and Recipes
- Consider offering only unflavored milk varieties (i.e., fat free and low fat) or offer flavored milk less frequently and serve it with a low sugar menu item.
- Offer grain-based desserts less frequently or not at all.
- Expand meats/meat alternates item offerings.
- Offer fruits that contain no or few added sugars, such as fresh fruits, unsweetened frozen fruits, and canned fruits packed in water or 100% fruit juice.
- Use fruits as a natural sweetener in muffins, smoothies, or waffles.
- Incorporate spices and extracts like cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla to enhance the flavor of baked goods made with fewer added sugars.
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3. Connect with Students and Families
- Involve students in the process of making changes to your menu through taste-testing activities, naming menu items, and providing suggestions for new items.
- Provide information about daily school breakfast choices with families and caregivers.
- Discuss what efforts your school has taken to ensure that school breakfasts are lower in added sugars.
- Share the MyPlate Cut Back on Added Sugars Tip Sheet as a resource to reduce added sugars at home.
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Reducing Added Sugars at School Breakfast Guide
Check out the Team Nutrition Reducing Added Sugars at School Breakfast Guide for additional information on how to identify sources of added sugars, ways to reduce added sugars in school breakfast meals, and ideas for connecting with families and caregivers about added sugars.
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Get Recognized as a Trailblazer in School Meals
The awards are designed to celebrate and share best practices in school meals taking place across the country! The Breakfast Trailblazer Award and Small and/or Rural School Food Authority (SFA) Breakfast Trailblazer Award recognize SFAs that provide nutritious breakfasts with limited added sugars and engage students in the planning of breakfast menus.
The award criteria include implementing at least two strategies to reduce added sugars. Examples include:
- Only unflavored milk is offered.
- All breakfast cereals contain ≤ 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce.
- All yogurts contain ≤ 12 grams of added sugars per 6 ounces.
- No grain-based desserts are offered.
- Weekly breakfast menus have been modified to reduce added sugars to less than 10 percent of the calories.
To learn more, visit the Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards webpage.
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Gain Inspiration from Breakfast Trailblazer Richland-Bean Blossom Community District in Indiana!
Richland-Bean Blossom Community District in Indiana received the Small or Rural School Food Authority Breakfast Trailblazer Award for reducing added sugars at breakfast by:
- Serving fewer grain-based desserts;
- Offering scratch made breakfast sandwiches and burritos;
- Switching to more fresh fruit;
- Adding a smoothie station; and
- Opting for reduced sugar cereals.
In addition, they incorporated new scratch made items such as Baked Blueberry Oatmeal, Peanut Butter Overnight Oats, Apple Cinnamon Sheet Pancakes, and Frozen Yogurt Bark – a student favorite! The new recipes were selected by conducting taste tests with over 850 students!
Check out more awardee success stories on the Recognition Award Spotlight webpage.
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Reducing Added Sugars in School Meals Webinar
Schools that participate in the USDA’s Child Nutrition Programs can request free print copies of certain Team Nutrition materials - Order today!
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