Offer Vs. Serve Policies Kendal Chavez, Farm to School Specialist September 18, 2019

1. Offer Vs. Serve PoliciesKendal Chavez, Farm to School SpecialistSeptember 18, 2019

2. What is OVS? • An alternative way to start a tennis match • A way to offer more food choices to students on school menus • An option to reduce food waste and give students flexibility • Required in all New Mexico schools

3. 3 What is OVS? • Concept that applies to menu planning and the determination of reimbursable meals • Allows students to decline a certain number of food components in the meal

4. More on Offer vs. Serve • Required in grades 9 - 12 at lunch • Optional in grades K - 8 at lunch • Optional in ALL grades at breakfast

5. Reimbursable Lunch Definitions Food Component - One of five food groups that make up reimbursable school lunch, school breakfast, and afterschool snack programs Full Component(ex. lunch daily requirements) Food Item - A specific food offered within the five food components for lunch ¾

6. Definitions (cont.) Serve– students must take all 5 components, regardless of choices Offer vs. Serve – allows students to decline up to any 2 components at lunch to minimize plate waste; schools are required to offer more food item choices Choice– several food items available as a component selection; choice is not OVS

7. 7 School Breakfast ProgramMeal Pattern Requirements

8. 8 Breakfast Meal Pattern • All 3 grade groups overlap • Can use one menu for K-12 (use 9-12 grade range for grains)

9. Offer vs. ServeSchool Breakfast Program

10. 10 OVS at Breakfast • Always offer all three components in at least the required amounts • For OVS, must offer at least four food items at breakfast • Students must select at least 3 items (if more than 4 items are offered, they may decline more than one) • For purposes of OVS, an item is the daily required minimum amount of each food component that a child can take • 1 cup of milk • 1 oz eq. of grains • 1 cup of fruit (or veg)

11. 11 OVS- Grains (part 1) • A large grain can count as more than one food item for purposes of OVS in breakfast • e.g. 2 oz. eq. muffin = 2 food items • In addition to the 2 oz. grain, at least 2 other food items must also be offered to have OVS • Student cannot decline the 2 oz grain item

12. 12 Example #1 2 ozeq Grain: School offers 2 ozeq muffin, 1 cup apples, and milk  • 5 Items Offered • Choices: • Muffin + Apples + Milk • Muffin + ½ cup of Apples • ½ cup of Apples + Milk

13. 13 OVS- Grains (part 2) • Grains-meat/meat alternate combination items • When counting the meat/meat alternate as grains, the combo may count as two food items • Example: egg sandwich w/ 1 oz. eq. of grains and 1 oz. eq. of m/ma counting as grains = 2 food items

14. 14 OVS-Grains (part 3) • Allowing students to take two of the same grain item • If a menu planner offers two different 1 oz. eq. grain items at breakfast, a student may be allowed to take two of the same grain and count as two items • Example: school offers milk and fruit, plus two grains: cereal (1 oz. eq.) and toast (1 oz. eq.) • Student could select fruit and two toasts • 2nd toast selected in place of other grain offered (cereal) • Only one item (milk) declined

15. National School Lunch ProgramMeal Pattern Requirements

16. Lunch Meal Pattern

17. Offer vs. ServeNational School Lunch Program

18. 18 OVS Lunch Requirements

19. 19 Combination Foods Beef Taco: Grain/Bread, Vegetables, Meat/Meat Alternate Ham Sandwich: Grain/Bread Meat Alternate, Vegetables Macaroni and Cheese: Grain/Bread & Meat Alternate Pepperoni Pizza: Grain/Bread & Meat/Meat Alternate

20. Q: Special Circumstance: What happens if a student selects only 3 items and two are from the fruit and vegetable component? Is this allowable? • Full Portion Other Component • ½ Portion Fruit/Vegetable • Full Portion Fruit/Vegetable • Reimbursable Meal

21. Choice is not OVS “Offering choices within components does not constitute OVS. If students are required to select every component, the SFA is not using OVS. Students must be allowed to decline components (except ½ cup serving of fruit and/or vegetable).” Offer vs Serve: Guidance for the NSLP and the SBP

22. Pre-Serving is not OVS “If OVS is in place students must be able to decline items they do not want and select the minimum required amounts for at least three food components, including a fruit or vegetable. One option is for students to pre-order the entrée and choose the side dishes at the point of service.” Policy Memo SP 10-2012 (v.9)

23. Salad Bar Post-POS is not OVS “…Un-monitored salad bars after the POS are considered extra food that cannot contribute toward the reimbursable meal, but counts toward the dietary specifications. For the vegetable subgroups to count, the school has to establish a monitoring mechanism [approved by the State agency].” Policy Memo SP 31-2013

24. Signage

25. Your manager will… • Review daily menu with staff before meal service • Ensure correct serving sizes • Discuss possible combinations of offerings • Observe that Serve or OVS is being implemented correctly

26. Additional Tips and Tricks?

27. Thank you!