Nutrition + Ingredients

#TrueFood is backed by the latest science to ensure our students receive nutritious meals that taste good. In partnership with the Center for Science in the Public Interest, school nutrition professionals (including our staff) collaborated to create the Ingredient Guide 2023 for Better School Food Purchasing; a science-based guide to help school food leaders and manufacturers improve the quality, nutritional value, and safety of food in all schools.

 

Minneapolis Public Schools Culinary & Wellness Services strives to create an environment where students can develop positive eating habits, understand how food fuels the body, and experience the flavors of our local and global cultures. Balanced eating patterns are essential for students to achieve their full academic potential, optimal physical and mental growth, and lifelong health and well-being. MPS Culinary & Wellness Services (MPS CWS) takes pride in shaping the food system surrounding our students.

 

We believe true food is the key to developing and maintaining the long-term health of our students. We define true food as whole, real ingredients that are minimally processed or preserved and provide substantial nutritional value. True food contributes necessary vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in natural forms for overall health and happiness. Real food—true food—tastes fresh and flavorful.

 

MPS CWS is committed to serving true food in all meal programs across the district. Our true food approach means students receive whole foods like grains, fruits, vegetables, meats, and dairy. We are working to eliminate artificial preservatives, colors, flavors, sweeteners, and unnatural additives from our menus. We actively choose products that contain only functional additives that have a structural or culinary purpose, and do not contain unnecessary additives (such as chemical preservatives) or unnatural ingredients (including man-made or synthetic).

 

To learn more about our nutrition philosophy and menu planning approach, open our Nutrition Philosophy. The Ingredient Guide (see above) is a resource for improving the overall quality, nutritional value, and safety of food provided to MPS students. We will continue to monitor and review current research on ingredients that have potential to be overused in new or modified products or produce unfavorable side effects.

 

Minneapolis Public Schools nutrition information is based on data from manufacturers, USDA, and other established databases. Nutrition and ingredient information is calculated from standard product formulations and standardized recipes created by MPS Culinary & Wellness Services. All nutrition information is collected and managed within USDA approved nutrition software TITAN, a LINQ Solution. Menu variation may occur due to supplier’s substitutions, ingredient substitutions or manufacturer formulation changes. Published information will be corrected in advance when possible. This page updated July 2023.