Nutrition at Legacy Charter School

Legacy Charter School’s menu was developed by registered dietitians to promote optimal health. The menu’s innovative design features foods appealing to school-aged children while incorporating the use of whole grains, lean proteins, and fresh fruits and vegetables. In addition to the hot meal and sandwich rotation, a salad option is available daily, featuring specialty salad recipes twice weekly. The use of overprocessed, high sodium, high fat foods is minimized. Traditional use of the deep-fat fryer as a preparation method has been eliminated; instead, all hot foods are baked, broiled, steamed, or grilled. A full nutrient analysis of the menu items has been completed using NUTRIKIDS® Menu Planning and Nutritional Analysis software and approved by a registered and licensed clinical dietitian.

The Office of Health and Nutrition administers the varying food service programs in South Carolina. Legacy Charter School exceeds the typical requirements of these programs by ensuring the following:

• Hot foods (including all animal products are baked, broiled, steamed, or grilled)
• Cheese products are low in fat content
• Salad options provided daily
• The utilization of only fresh or frozen vegetables to maintain and preserve essential nutrients
• Only whole wheat breads provided
• Fresh fruit items offered daily
• Daily low sodium food choices
• Reduced sugar offerings
• Only skim milk and 1% milk provided
• No flavored milk (i.e., no chocolate milk/strawberry milk)
• No vending machines on campus
• No individual items for sale to ensure all students receive a wholesome complete meal
• Complimentary meals provided to faculty/staff to model healthy eating

To create a school environment conducive to learning, it is essential the foods and snacks consumed by all students, faculty and staff at Legacy Charter School reflect the school’s mission. Therefore, all parents, faculty and staff receive a ‘snack list’ illustrating examples of ‘acceptable’ and ‘unacceptable’ food items permitted on campus. Furthermore, faculty and staff at Legacy Charter School provide healthy food items to reward student behavior and performance in the classroom, rather than candy and other unhealthy incentives typically provided to students in other schools.

Birthday celebrations are a common practice in school and frequently serve cakes, candy and other unhealthy products. In the spirit of Legacy Charter School’s commitment to health and wellness, birthdays are only celebrated once each month and Legacy Charter School is responsible for providing the celebratory items.