The NPC has released the following statement about the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs:
The National Potato Council (NPC) commends Secretary Sonny Perdue and the Department of Agriculture for listening to school food service professionals to provide flexibilities without changing the important nutrient requirements established for the school meals programs.
The proposed rule Simplifying Meal Service and Monitoring Requirements in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs announced January 17, 2020, streamlines various complexities food service professionals have identified in the school meals programs, including the requirement to offer differing amounts of five vegetable subgroups. Local school food service professionals know better than anyone the best way to provide nutritious meals to the children they serve.
“We are pleased to see that USDA is listening to school professionals and allowing a wider variety of vegetables, including potatoes, to be served,” said Kam Quarles, Chief Executive Officer of National Potato Council. “School food service directors have told us that potatoes can be used to introduce children to other types of vegetables, increase school breakfast participation and decrease food waste, while providing students food they like in creative forms.”
Potatoes are a fat-free, sodium-free nutritional powerhouse that is an excellent and/or good source of eight different vitamins and minerals for children, including fiber and potassium – two nutrients of concern as identified by the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. In fact, potatoes rank highest for potassium content among the top 20 most frequently consumed raw vegetables and fruits (over 75% more than bananas);1 and one medium baked potato contributes only 110 calories to the diet and has nearly as much fiber as a serving of broccoli,2 providing 13% of children’s daily needs.
In addition to providing important nutrients on their own, potatoes serve as a “springboard vegetable” by positively impacting the consumption of other types of vegetables. In fact, research shows when potatoes are served, a wider variety of vegetables are consumed.3 As the only vegetable consumed at breakfast, and the vegetable most often consumed at lunch, potatoes provide children with valuable nutrients throughout the day, while decreasing food waste and increasing participation in school meals programs.4
Local food service professionals have creatively identified methods to serve potatoes that meet the standards established in the program. While it is a common misconception, the majority of schools today (89%) do not have fryers in their kitchens.5 Cooking and preparation techniques may impact its nutritional value – but the end product remains a healthy, nutrient-packed food, especially compared to other vegetables.
We look forward to participating in the comment process.
Sources:
1 DHHS FDA 21 CFR Part 101, Docket No. 2001N-0548, Food Labeling; Guidelines for Voluntary Nutrition Labeling of Raw Fruits, Vegetables, and Fish; Correction
2 USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23 (2010) . Broccoli, Raw. Available at: http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/cgi- bin/list_nut_edit.pl. Accessed on September 21, 2011.
3 Drewnowski A, Rehm C and Beals K. White potatoes, non-fried, do not displace other vegetables in meals consumed by American children and adolescents aged 4- 18 years
Abstract presented on April 13, 2011 at the Experimental Biology Meeting in Washington, D.C.
4 MMS Education, Newton, PA. Survey of School Food Service Professionals,
December 2010. Paid for by the National Potato Council.
5 MMS Education, Newton, PA. Survey of School Food Service Professionals, August-September 2011. Paid for by the National Potato Council.
