My child has a milk allergy. How do I arrange for milk-free foods?

Please provide a doctor's note to the cafeteria manager at your child's school. This will allow the manager to provide a beverage substitute (juice) with a meal. Food items that contain milk proteins arae found on the Nutrient and Allergen Information List.

My child is lactose intolerant. What can MCPS provide for my child?

In order for your child to receive juice instead of milk as part of a meal, a doctor's note must be provided to the cafeteria manager at your child's school. If you cannot obtain a doctor's note, there are several alternate beverages that can be purchased a la carte or the child can bring a beverage from home. Students are not required to take milk if they select other components from the meal. Foods that contain dairy products are listed on the Nutrient and Allergen Information list.

My child is diabetic. What can be done to help keep the diabetes under control when he/she eats at school?

Nutrient information, including carbohydrate content of menu items, is available on the Nutrient and Allergen Information list. This information has proven to be helpful to parents, children, and school nurses regarding diabetic control issues.

Our family is vegetarian. Are vegetarian lunches provided?

Meatless options are available during the week and indicted on menus with the [^] symbol. These include grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese pizzas, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cheese lasagna with tomato sauce. By talking with the cafeteria manager, an arrangement may be made to provide your child with a meatless meal if one is not part of the selections on a specific day. The manager will need to know at the beginning of the day if your child is present and wants a substitute meal. Families following strict vegan regimes may need to provide lunch from home.

My child is trying to lose weight. What options are available in the school cafeteria?

Portion sizes are standardized and don't permit "super sizing". Menus are planned to provide the proper calorie and nutritional content for children within each age range. If your child wants to select lower calorie options from the menus, the calorie content of menu items is available on the Nutrient and Allergen Information list.

Where can I find nutritional information about menu items served in the school cafeterias?

Nutrient (calories, fat sodium, etc) and allergen (wheat dairy, eggs, etc.) information for breakfast and lunch menu items for elementarty, middle, and high school menus is found on the Nutrient and Allergen Information list. Generally, the information is stable for the school year, but updates are made if new products are introduced, recipes are modified, or manufacturer's information changes - so it is a good idea to check for updates periodically.

MCPS strives to maintain accurate and up-to-date information; however due to factors mentioned above, guarantees are not possible. Information is provided as a guide to help students and parents make the best selections possible for their individial situations..

My child has special dietary needs. How does MCPS provide for them?

Additional and/or more specific information is available by contacting Sandra Shrout, R.D., at 301-840-8194 or sandra_shrout@mcpsmd.org

Updated September 17, 2007| Maintained by Webmaster