Keep your students happy, healthy, and energized with enticing, nutritious menus offered in vibrant, age-segmented dining environments. Our unique wellness portfolio gets students excited about enjoying the school food program, eating smart, and adopting a healthy lifestyle, now and in the future.
Our Top Ten Nutrition Commitments
- Serve nutritious menus that exceed current USDA requirements for all students (including those with special dietary needs)
- Offer foods that are rich in key nutrients: whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables and low or non fat dairy products
- Serve high-quality, safe foods that have no added trans fats and are low in total fat, salt and sugar
- Promote breakfast participation and expand availability
- Offer healthy, nutrient dense snacks
- Source high-quality, environmentally responsible, local produce and products
- Enable healthy lifestyles through nutrition awareness and education
- Create healthy school environments -- composting, recycling, green cleaning
- Advance employee knowledge and sensitivity to health and wellness education
- Provide legislative advocacy on behalf of our nation's students
What is ARAMARK's position on:
Nutrition and Obesity
ARAMARK nutrition professionals have reviewed current research and support a science-based approach to formulating nutrition standards that would apply consistently across all school districts in all states and for all day parts. We understand the impact and importance of addressing the relationship between food choices, regular daily activity and obesity. We strive to focus on education and promotion of healthy lifestyle and environments to minimize the risks associated with current health trends among our youth.
We view the school environment as a unique opportunity to educate students and staff on balanced food choices, healthy activity and sustainable environments by providing age appropriate materials and programs but to also provide balanced food choices to demonstrate how to apply the learning.
Healthy Menus
ARAMARK has been serving high-quality, balanced meal selections to students for over 50 years. In addition to our onsite food service experts at every school café, we rely upon our experienced Registered Dietitians for menus, professional information and technical training. They work closely with a group of best-in-class culinarians, merchandising and marketing staff at our research and development center in Philadelphia to create healthy, fun and creative food items for the K-12 market – foods that kids will choose and enjoy.
We encourage all of our food service managers to provide daily choices of menu items that are lower in fat and calories and high in nutrients. Our menus meet the guidelines for daily nutritional requirements by including items such as:
- Low and non-fat milk and yogurt products
- Reduced-fat cheeses
- Lean beef, chicken and fish products
- Lower fat and/or turkey-based hot dogs and lunch meats
- No candy or soda
- Juice packed fruits and more fresh fruit and vegetables
- 100% juices and water as alternative beverages
- Salads with reduced fat dressings
- Low-fat sandwich wraps
- Reduced portions for baked snacks
- Whole grain rolls and bread
Trans Fats
Some health advocates have proposed a reduction of trans fats in foods. ARAMARK's own research has shown that consumers are becoming more concerned with trans fats in the foods they purchase. Because of these findings, ARAMARK has proactively been working to identify and reduce trans fats in the recipes and prepared foods we serve.
All ARAMARK-managed food locations in the United States – including our school accounts – now use a fryer oil that is "zero grams trans fat" (defined by the FDA as 0.5 grams per serving or less). Additionally, ARAMARK is identifying and testing other products to reduce or eliminate trans fats in the foods our customers enjoy. More information on trans fats is available from ARAMARK upon request.
Competitive Foods
In addition to healthy breakfast and lunch-time meal options at school, snacking is important for children and adolescents to meet their energy and nutrition needs for growth and development, as studies indicate that snacks contribute to over 20 percent of the daily energy intake of children. It is important that the snacks children eat are nutritious, so we support the recommendations contained in the recent Institute of Medicine Report on Competitive Foods and have been applying similar standards for some time.
