Welcome to the Hyde Park Central School District Food Service Department web site!   

The Hyde Park School District Food Service Department works very hard to meet and exceed the state and federal requirements for meal preparation.   We have implemented many new programs which improve the quality of the products served to students, including but not limited to a variety of choices, Farm to School Initiatives, whole grain products, fresh fruits and vegetables, part skim cheeses, and 1% or less milk choices, and no trans fats.  For example, all pizza served in the Hyde Park School District is made of whole grain crust and light or part skim mozzarella cheese. 

In the planning and preparation of menus we utilize the dietary guidelines for Americans as they call for moderation and balance.  They stress eating a variety of foods to insure that we get all the nutrients we need for a healthy diet.  A healthy diet applies to the pattern of foods consumed over several days, not to single meals or foods.  In fact, even foods of lower nutritional value can be part of a healthy diet when served in moderation.   

In addition we utilize our government commodities, to insure financial sustainability and meet all the requirements of the School Meals Initiative (SMI) set forth by the State Education Department, Child Nutrition Program.  The guidelines are listed below:

1.  Calories for the meal period

2.  Sodium

3.  Fiber

4.  Vitamin C

5.  Calories from fat

6.  Calories from saturated fat

The Hyde Park Central School District knows the importance of parents as partners in the nutritional education of students.  For this reason, our web site offers educational recipes and activities, utilizing our monthly fruit or vegetable feature for parents and students. Children learn to make healthy choices and be sensible about their diets and snacks when we work collaboratively to teach them.  We recently implemented "Wellness Wednesday's" on the menu, utilizing more whole food options, increased fruits and vegetables.  We hope that you will look to try some other options at your home for example; Meatless Monday's.  We look forward to providing nutritional information regarding a variety of our menu items in the near future, keep watching.

We continue to recognize that difficult economic times currently plague the nation and community and we have responded by maintaining the cost of breakfast and lunch again this year. We look forward to serving you.  It is important that every family complete and return one signed and dated free and reduced meal application at the beginning of each school year.   Please remember that if your circumstances change during the year, it is never to late to apply for the meal program and we would encourage you to do so.