Exchange to provide school meals that meet tough new nutrition standards Published Aug. 9, 2012 Exchange Pacific Region Public Affairs CAMP FOSTER, Japan -- As students return to class this fall on bases in Okinawa, mainland Japan and Korea, they will find new healthy choices in their school cafeterias with meals provided by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service. The Exchange will be serving healthy meals for DoD schools that meet new federal nutrition standards, ensuring the meals are well-balanced and provide students all the nutrition they need to succeed at school, according to Craig Masek, food program specialist for the Exchange's Pacific Region. School meals offer students milk, fruits, vegetables, meat/meat alternative, and grains, and they must meet strict limits for calories and saturated fat. Starting this fall, school lunches will meet additional standards requiring: · age-appropriate calorie ranges · larger servings of vegetables and fruits (students must take at least one serving of a fruit or vegetable) · a wider variety of vegetables, including legumes, dark green and red/orange varieties. · fat-free or one-percent milk (flavored milk must be fat-free) · more whole grains · less sodium "We're always working to offer students in the Pacific Region healthier and tastier choices," said Masek. "In addition to meeting new nutrition standards, we're spicing up our school lunch menu with items that have been specifically chosen for their mass appeal and that we can make with less sodium and reduced fat." A few new selections students will see this fall include black bean quesadillas, chicken parmesan, turkey hot dogs and frozen fruit juice swirl cups, he added. Some whole grain choices added this year are whole wheat tortillas (also in tomato and spinach flavor), whole grain pierogies and whole grain chicken egg rolls along with many other selections. Another change for the school lunch program in the fall includes a new Meal Payment Plus App that allows parents to track their child's school lunch balance. The Meal Pay Plus site where parents paid for their children's school lunch has been changed to My Meal Payment Plus and can now be found at www.mypaymentsplus.com. The old Meal Pay Plus site address automatically defaults to the new address. Besides paying their children's balance online, parents can also go to any Exchange customer service department at their main Exchange store to add funds or make changes to their child's lunch account. To find out more about the school meals served by the Exchange, log onto www.shopmyexchange.com, go to Community Info at the bottom of the page and click on school lunch program.