Within each of the different categories, the lunch staff has requirements that they must meet if they wish to serve it to students. The biggest changes came from the protein and grain category. Now, for every lunch menu, there must be at least two protein options. Also, Chellberg said that at the end of the week, the lunch room could only offer 10-12 different types of proteins in their menu options. For grains, half of the grains offered had to be whole grains, with the same requirements as protein, according to Chellberg.

“The biggest changes and the changes that caused us the most problems in planning our menu were in the grains category and the proteins category,” Chellberg said. “That’s where it got tricky, with how many grains we could provide you. Same thing with the meats. So, that comes into play with some of the things we were offering you everyday.”

There are other restrictions on the items that can be served, such as the distribution of calories and how there cannot be any trans-fat present in any of the meals served, Chellberg said. Also, according to Chellberg, the number of calories consumed is carefully measured, and the lunch room cannot exceed a certain calorie count per meal.

“We’re here to meet basic nutrition needs for the country and not to sustain the football player,” Chellberg said.

Although, senior Liz James sees the new rules are amounting in a greater waste of food and are not helping. According to James, if she is being forced to buy a fruit or vegetable she dislikes, it will be a bigger waste since she will just throw it away.

“I feel like they are trying to crack down on health and money things and its just turning into a huge waste of food,” James said. “Which I guess we don’t notice as much because we are in Blue Valley, but there are people that don’t have enough, yet we are throwing excessive amounts away.”

With that, Chellberg advised that the best way to save money in the lunch room would be to purchase a meal that may include a half cup of vegetables or fruit and two other food groups. According to Chellberg, it is the healthiest option and the cheapest, costing only $2.35.

“Three years ago, I had the best job in the district,” Chellberg said. “Now I am public enemy number one.”