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OneCCPS.org

Food & Nutrition Services

Well-nourished students are ready to learn

Overview

Food and Nutrition Services team members are partners in education, contributing to a successful academic experience for students through an innovative, nutritious and cost efficient program that encourages a lifetime of good nutrition. The program adheres to the United States Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the USDA National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs.

MySchoolBucks.com
MealViewer.com
Free & Reduced Application English
Free & Reduced Application Spanish
Handouts

Families must now complete an application to receive free or reduced-price meals

Free/Reduced-Price School Meals

Families may apply for free or reduced-price school meals through the USDA National School Breakfast and Lunch programs. Applications are provided to students on the first day of school. A new application must be submitted each school year, and it must be completed in full to be considered. The most convenient way to submit an application is to apply online. The online application is available in English and Spanish.

If your earnings are at or below current federal income eligibility guidelines, you are encouraged to complete an application. 

If you receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits or participate in other federal assistance programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) all of your children who attend school automatically qualify for free school meals.

If you are eligible for unemployment compensation or The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), you may also be eligible for free or reduced price school meals.

The USDA has identified a number of Chesterfield schools to receive the community eligibility provision during the 2022-23 school year through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. Through this provision, all students at the identified schools may eat breakfast and lunch at no charge, and they do not have to submit a free/reduced lunch application to participate. Schools covered by this provision for 2022-23 include:

Elementary Schools

  • Bellwood
  • Bensley
  • Beulah
  • Chalkley
  • Curtis
  • Crestwood
  • Davis
  • Ecoff
  • Elizabeth Scott
  • Ettrick
  • Falling Creek
  • Harrowgate
  • Hening
  • Hopkins Road
  • Jacobs Road
  • Marguerite Christian
  • Matoaca 
  • Reams Road
  • Salem Church

Middle Schools 

  • Carver
  • Falling Creek
  • Manchester
  • Salem Church

High Schools 

  • Meadowbrook 
  • Carver College And Career Academy 

Offered at six schools

Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program

Food and Nutrition Services offers a Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program at Bellwood, Bensley, Chalkley, Ettrick, Falling Creek and Harrowgate elementary schools.

They offer a fresh fruit and vegetable snack to students 4-5 days a week in school. They also provide extra fruits and vegetables to the curbside bags for families to take home.

The information provided in the documents below are student and parent handouts reflecting some of the fruits and vegetables that are offered. The students handouts give nutrition information and some interesting facts about the fruits and vegetables. The parent’s handouts include a recipe and information about how to select and store the fruit and vegetable when purchasing from the store.

The goal of the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Program is to:

  • Create healthier school environments by providing healthier food opportunities and education
  • Expand the variety of fruits and vegetables children experience to increase children’s fruit and vegetable consumption
  • Make a difference in children’s diets to impact their present and future health

 

Snacks will be eaten in the classroom, along with fun and educational information led by school staff. Children will be encouraged to try the fruit or vegetable snack of the day, but they may choose to not participate if they do not like or cannot eat the fruit or vegetable offered. Please encourage your child to participate in the snack, as this is a great way to show students healthy food choices that are both familiar and new!

Adding money to your child’s account

MySchoolBucks.com is a simple and convenient alternative to ensure your child has money in their account for school meals. Access the service via web or download the app.

Through MySchoolBucks.com, you can:

  • Eliminate the need to send lunch money daily or weekly
  • Add funds as needed or set an automatic deduction from your credit card or debit card
  • View your child’s purchases over the past seven days
  • Place a daily or weekly limit on how your child spends funds
  • See your MySchoolBucks.com payment history
  • Receive e-mail notifications when your child’s account balance drops to a certain level

Returned Checks

Food and Nutrition Services contracts with Envision Payment Solutions for services related to returned checks. A $50 fee is charged for each returned check in addition to the value of the check. For questions, call 855-832-5226.

MySchoolBucks

Information about nutrition and menus

Chesterfield County Public Schools provides nutritious breakfasts and lunches, offering milk, fruits, vegetables, proteins and grains and meeting strict limits on saturated fat and portion size. Nutrition is prioritized, and CCPS is meeting the challenges set forth in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. School lunches must meet federal standards that require 

  • age-appropriate calorie limits
  • larger servings of vegetables and fruits (Students are required to take at least one fruit or vegetable) 
  • wider variety of vegetables, including dark green vegetables, red/orange vegetables and legumes 
  • fat-free or 1% milk 
  • more whole grains (At least half of all the grains in school meals must be whole grains) 
  • minimum and maximum levels for all grain and protein products
  • less sodium

Here are some of the steps taken to make school breakfasts and lunches healthy and nutritious:

  • whole-grain rolls, biscuits, buns and pizza crust
  • cupped fruit in natural or extra-light syrup
  • reduced-fat dressings
  • baked fries (no frying in elementary or middle schools)
  • whole-grain breading on chicken and nuggets
  • 100% beef and reduced-fat burgers
  • vegetarian choice every day

To view your school’s menu, visit MealViewer.com and create a free account. Meals can be viewed via the website link or through the MealViewer app.

Meal Viewer

Food Allergies

Parents can use this link to the Food Allergy/Food modification Medical Statement or get one from their school’s nurse or cafeteria manager. This form must be completed and signed by a Licensed Healthcare Provider and returned to the school’s nurse. The school nurse will provide the statement to the cafeteria manager who will send it to the Food & Nutrition Dietitian to determine any meal accommodations.

Food Allergy Modification Form

Frequently asked questions

Yes. School meals are healthy and meet the requirements set by the USDA and the Government Accountability Office. Additionally, it is good practice to encourage your child to eat all the meal components, including fruits and vegetables, and to limit a la carte items for optimum nutrition.

No. Studies show that lunches from home are less nutritious, contain more snack foods and rarely include milk. School lunches offer high nutritional value at a low cost.

Yes. Contact the food service manager at your child’s school or write on your check “meals only.”

Yes. All snacks sold on school campuses must meet the UDSA Smart Snacks Nutrition Standards:

  • less than 200 calories
  • sugar must be 35% or less by weight
  • calories from fat must be 35% or less of total calories
  • saturated fat must be 10% or less of total calories
  • sodium may not exceed 200 mg. 
  • beverages (with the exception of water) cannot exceed 8 ounces in elementary schools and 12 ounces in middle and high schools (high schools may allow 20-ounce containers with less than 5 calories per 8 ounces).

When a student cannot consume milk because of a medical condition, the federal program requires a statement from a recognized medical authority. Lactose-free milk is the only approved substitution. For other allergies, please contact the Food and Nutrition Services Department.

Yes. An application must be completed each year, and it can only be processed if it includes all the required information. One application listing all school-age children should be submitted for each household.

If your income is too high or the information requested on the application was incomplete, your application will be denied.

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