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Oregon City schools report meal participation gains as USDA sugar limits begin to shape menus
Summary
Sodexo representatives told the school board that two new sites and targeted outreach helped boost participation by about 15,000 meals over two years and that new USDA rules on added sugar are already changing products served (chocolate milk reformulated; more changes coming for cereals and yogurt).
Sodexo staff told the Oregon City School Board on Oct. 13 that school-meal participation has increased substantially and that federal nutrition rules are reshaping menus.
"We were 15,000 higher just first month of last September," said Jeff, a Sodexo representative, describing a jump in meals tied to new sites and local outreach. Asia, a Sodexo dietitian, said two recently added sites (Alliance Charter Academy/Park Place and Springwater) are serving roughly 200 lunches and 120 breakfasts combined, and that menu and service changes — contests by class, BrightBites menu rollout and higher-quality scratch cooking where feasible — helped drive the growth.
Asia said federal policy changes are also influencing menus. "The USDA issued what is called the final rule ... it establishes added sugar limits for specific products," she said, listing breakfast cereals, flavored milk and yogurt as affected categories. She noted that some changes are already in place (chocolate milk reformulations) and that further product and sodium restrictions are phased in over coming years, with additional sodium limits starting in 2027.
District staff and Sodexo described BrightBites as a student-driven elementary program that keeps popular items while introducing new, healthier options and an emphasis on presentation and daily hot vegetables. The district previewed a high-school program called 'Top Secret Taste Test,' modeled on competitive cooking shows, to engage students in new menu trials.
Board members asked how food waste is monitored; Sodexo said stations are replenished between lunches, giveaway tables reduce landfill waste and staff watch plate composition to limit discard rates. Sodexo emphasized ongoing outreach and invited board members to share menu information to widen community awareness.
The district and Sodexo framed the changes as both health-focused and pragmatic: a blend of federally driven limits and locally driven strategies to keep students eating and reduce waste. The presentation closed with an offer to share approved BrightBites menus with board members and to collect feedback from families and staff.
