Nutrition
A nutritious breakfast and lunch are served daily at all schools. A variety of choices are offered through a six-week menu cycle that meets the nutritional standards established by the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. The Mount Vernon Community School District uses the Mealviewer digital menu system. This system allows you to view nutrition, allergens, and ingredient lists of all of your student’s breakfast and lunch meals. While the Mealviewer program provides valuable information regarding menu items in our lunch program, that information is only as accurate as the information that is provided to the District by the various manufacturers. Every caution should be taken when referring to the Mealviewer program to follow through with the District’s food service officials should your child be impacted by any significant allergies, including food allergies.
You can view monthly menus on Mealviewer by using the links below.
| The Elementary School lunch offers one hot entree and the alternative option of a Mustang Meal each day. | Washington Elementary Menus |
| The Middle School lunch offers the choice between two hot entrees or a variety of Grab & Go options to choose each day. | Middle School Menus |
| The High School offers a main hot lunch option, a slice of pizza, or a sandwich option, and a variety of Grab & Go options each day. | High School Menus |
| The Middle School and High School also offer a salad bar daily to complete the meal and ala carte options that meet Smart Snack standards. Ala carte items are purchased separately from a meal and require a positive nutrition balance. | Ala Carte Prices |
If your student has food allergies the nutrition department will make a comparable meal for your student provided the Special Diet Modification Form is filled out and returned to the Nutrition or Health Department.
Breakfast & Lunch Prices
Breakfast and lunch prices, as set by the federal government, are $3.50 for middle school and high school students and $3.35 for elementary school students. Breakfast is $2.40 in all three buildings. Ala carte purchases are a separate cost from the lunch prices.
USDA Meal Requirements
The USDA requirement for a complete meal and to be charged the meal price, students may choose 3,4, or 5 food items. One item MUST be a ½ cup of a fruit or vegetable.
BREAKFAST OPTION
3 Required Food Components
- Fruit
- Grain
- Milk
* A variety of food options are offered of each of the above components.
To make a complete breakfast, students may choose 3 or 4 food items. One of the items MUST be a fruit from the options offered or a juice cup.
* High school students have the choice between 2 breakfast entrees daily as well as a grab and go option. Only one may be selected to count toward a complete breakfast.
The Breakfast Grab and Go option counts as a complete breakfast.
In all schools the main entree counts as 2 food items.
IMPORTANT: Any additional entrees chosen or choosing less than 3 food items or more than 4 food items will result in the student’s lunch account being charged for each item as ala carte. If a fruit or juice is not selected, all items will be charged as ala carte. If ala carte options are turned off due to a negative balance or parental controls, the ala carte items will be added to the students meal balance by the office.
LUNCH OPTIONS
5 Required Food Components
- Meat / Meat Alternative
- Grain (frequently included with entree, i.e. sandwich bun)
- Vegetable
- Fruit
- Milk
The USDA requirement for a complete meal and to be charged the meal price, students may choose 3, 4, or 5 food items. One item MUST be a ½ cup of a fruit or vegetable.
IMPORTANT: If less than 3 food items are selected the items will be charged at ala carte prices. If a fruit or vegetable is not selected the items chosen will be charged at ala carte prices. Please encourage your student(s) to select at least one fruit or juice at breakfast and one fruit or vegetable at lunch.
Free or Reduced Price Meals
Free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch meals are available to students of families meeting the income eligibility guidelines.
Families of middle school and high school students on the free or reduced-price meal plans will be charged and must pay for ala carte food items purchased. Ala carte items are food items that are normally separate from the school breakfast and lunch menu. If you do not want your student to purchase these extra charge ala carte items, please discuss this with your student and turn off this option in the dining system.
Iowa & USDA Nondiscrimination Statement