Frequently
Asked Questions
What do I do if
my child has a medical condition or food allergies and cannot eat all
of the school meals' food items?
If your
child has a medical condition requiring dietary restrictions or food allergies,
a physician must document the condition and specific restrictions. This
note must be on file in the Child Nutrition Services Office, 550 E. North
Street, Akron, Ohio 44304. Notifiying the child
nutrition workers or other personnel at the school is not sufficient.
Once the physician's note is received in the Child Nutrition office, one
of our dietitians will contact you and/or the child nutrition workers
at your child's school to discuss what accommodations, if any, can be
made. If you have any questions, call the Child Nutrition Services Office
at 330-761-1335 or submit your question on our Ask
The Dietitians page.
Are school lunches healthier than packed lunches from home?
Current research supports the fact that school lunches are often more
nutritious than packed lunches from home.
According to research
conducted by Alice Jo Rainville of Eastern Michigan University and published
in the Journal of Child Nutrition and Management, school provided meals
are more nutritious than meals brought from home. Five Hundred and Seventy
lunches prepared by schools and brought from home were evaluated. It was
found that the lunches prepared in school had significantly fewer calories
from fat than lunches brought from home. In addition, school lunches had
more protein, fiber, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12,
thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, calcium, iron and zinc. The packed
lunches
from home had more carbohydrates, fat and sugar. School meals are convenient,
economical, and a healthier alternative to packing.