Offer Versus Serve National School Lunch Program 1

Offer Versus Serve
National School Lunch
Program
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Lunch Meal Pattern Chart
Here is a graphic
display of the lunch
meal pattern. You may
need to reference it as
we talk about Offer vs
Serve.
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What is Offer Versus Serve (OVS)?
Offer Versus Serve (OVS) is a concept that
applies to Child Nutrition menu planning and the
determination of reimbursable school meals.
OVS allows students to decline some of the food
offered in a school lunch or breakfast.
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Who, When & Where
OVS is:
• Required at lunch at the senior high level
• Optional at grade levels below the senior high level
• Optional at breakfast in all grades
The school food authority (SFA) decides whether to implement
OVS when optional & in what grades.
• Students decide what foods to decline
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Meal Identification
All menu items on serving line must be:
• Identifiable
• Labeled
• Listed at the beginning of serving line
• Listed prior to Point of Service (POS)
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Training and Signage
• All schools must identify food items that make up a reimbursable
meal at or near beginning of line.
• Schools using OVS must identify what food items or
components must be selected in order to count as a
reimbursable meal.
• Point of Service and serving line staff must be trained on what
makes a reimbursable meal:
• Example: Recognizing appropriate serving sizes of items
selected
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Pre-plating/Pre-packaging/Bundling
• Pre-plating/pre-packaging/bundling is allowed.
• Schools are encouraged to offer choices to the greatest extent
possible.
• Pre-plating /pre-packaging works best if there is variety within
the bundled choices.
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OVS Reimbursable Lunches
Page 1
To receive reimbursement for an OVS lunch, schools must meet
the following requirements:
• Offer at least the minimum serving sizes for all 5 food
components:
•
•
•
•
•
Meat/Meat Alternative
Fruit
Vegetable
Grains
Milk
• Price lunch as a unit: This means that the price is the same
regardless of whether the students takes 3, 4, or 5
components.
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OVS Reimbursable Lunches
Page 2
For OVS lunch to be reimbursable:
• Students must:
• Select at least 3 components.
• Select at least ½ cup of either a fruit, vegetable, or
combination of the two.
• Students may:
• Decline two of the five required food components,
including entrée or milk.
• Take smaller portions of declined food items (does not
affect price).
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OVS Reimbursable Lunches
Page 3
If a student does not select at least three food components:
• The lunch is not reimbursable.
• The student must pay according to a la carte pricing.
If a student does not have ½ cup of fruit, vegetable, or a
combination of both, the lunch is not reimbursable.
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OVS Reimbursable Lunches
• If a student has not selected 3 components, every effort
should be made at the point of service to encourage the
student to take an additional component so the meal is
reimbursable.
• All staff responsible for counting and claiming meals
must be trained to recognize meal components, including
those in combination foods.
• Make sure you and your staff receive annual training in
recognizing reimbursable meals.
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Challenge Activity
Students took the following meals –
are they reimbursable under OVS?
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Examples of
Reimbursable/Non-Reimbursable Meals #1
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Examples of
Reimbursable/Non-Reimbursable Meals #2
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Resources
This list of links provides you access to many resources for school meal programs.
• Link to USDA Website
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Legislation/nutritionstandards
.htm
• Link to Child Nutrition Programs – School Meals Home Page
http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/child-nutrition-programs
• Link to FNS New Meal Pattern Website
http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Legislation/nutritionstandards
.htm
• Link to Best Practices Sharing Center
http://healthymeals.nal.usda.gov/bestpractices
• Link to Technical Assistance Resources
http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/policy
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Conclusion
• This concludes the Offer versus Serve at Lunch training
module.
• Please note that there are separate training modules titled:
Lunch Meal Pattern – Part One and Part Two.
• Please make sure to review these modules as part of the lunch
training.
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