Are Simply Gourmet lunches healthy?

Yes. Our lunches are designed to conform to the NJ State Department of Agriculture's Model School Nutrition Policy. Simply Gourmet meets or exceeds these recommendations. At minimum, one meal per day will be offered that is in full compliance with these guidelines. We are committed to:

1. Providing students with healthy and nutritious foods;
2. Encouraging consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables through our preparation and individualized packaging;
3. Encouraging students to consume all components of the balanced meal.

What highlights can you offer about the process and products used to create a Simply Gourmet lunch?

• At least one meal per day is offered in compliance with the NJ State Department of Agriculture's Model School Nutrition Policy.'
• We believe in making our lunches kid-friendly and nutritious.
• Our food is prepared fresh daily. Nothing is ever fried and we do not serve microwaved food or food that is overly processed.
• Fresh fruits and vegetables are sliced daily for the lunches.
• Our chicken products are white meat.
• We offer daily over 13 meal choices including vegetarian, organic, and gluten-free selections.
• All sandwich bread and bagels are whole wheat.
• We feature foods that are free of artificial preservatives, colors, flavors and sweeteners.
• We use fresh romaine lettuce instead of iceberg lettuce because of its higher nutritional values and have a fresh salad Alternate Meal option every day.
• Many recipes are started from scratch to ensure the highest nutritional levels.
• The milk we use is delivered from a local dairy. It is free of the growth hormone rBST and free of antibiotics.
• We use only nut-free products.
• We offer age-appropriate portion sizes to support kids to maintain and grow into a healthy weight.
• Our produce is ordered through approved and monitored vendors that adhere to the USDA Perishable Commodities Act.

Should fats be eliminated from meals?

No. Fats should not be eliminated from meals. Fats play an important role in the body. They carry the fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and help the body to absorb these. Fats also provide energy and the feeling of being full after a meal. A 2006 JAMA study showed that low fat diets did not lower the risk of some cancers and heart disease. Even though this study showed certain data, it is still necessary to limit certain fats like saturated fat.

Why do some lunches seem so high in starch?

It may seem that some lunches are high in starch because the school lunch pattern requires school lunch providers to serve a minimum amount of grains, fruits, and vegetables, all of which contain carbohydrates. The dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends increasing complex carbohydrates (45-65% of calories). These foods also contain many essential nutrients.

What is Simply Gourmet's nut policy?

At Simply Gourmet we consider ourselves "allergen aware". This means that with regard to nuts, we do not use any products that have nuts, nut oils or nut extracts in the ingredients. Any product that we produce from scratch is "nut free". We make every attempt to carefully screen our products for all allergens so that our web site is as up to date as possible with ingredient listings. At times, manufacturers list disclaimer statements on certain baking mixes or dry ingredients. In those cases, we query our food distributor to ensure that all processing plants guard against cross-contamination. We feel we are doing as much as we can in regard to nut allergens, but ultimately your personal judgment needs to be exercised when ordering.

What is the New Jersey State Department of Agriculture's Model School Nutrition Policy?

The part of the New Jersey State Department of Agriculture Model School Nutritional Policy that Simply Gourmet is concerned with is in regard to lunches. It recommends that on a weekly basis, lunches should limit total calories from fat to 30%, and total calories from saturated fat to less than 10%. Our weekly averages are found on the far right column of your monthly menu.

What standards are taken into account when planning menus?

We take into account many sets of standards including Ingredient, Nutrition and USDA. Our ingredient standards are a set of guidelines used to ensure products and ingredients are of the highest quality. Our nutrition standards are requirements structured to make sure our lunches help children to fight diet-related illnesses. USDA standards are used as a guideline for calories, fat and saturated fat counts.