2002 states that a hot lunch can contain no more than 30% fat and no more than 10% of the calories in the food can come from fat. Also, meals must contain a variety of foods with plenty of grains and at least one fruit or vegetable each day. Foods must not contain too much sugar or salt. Today, states the FRAC, the national school lunch program meals meet or exceed one third of a child's recommended daily allowance of many key nutrients. Let's compare two students' meals to see which is healthier. Ryan's hot lunch (without the cupcake from his friend) has 577 calories, 25 grams of total fat, and 12 grams of saturated fat. He had one serving of fruit, 26 grams of protein, and 483 milligrams of calcium. Ryan ate more total fat (39 percent) and saturated fat (19 percent) than the dietary guidelines recommend. However, schools can still meet the guidelines by having the numbers average out over a week of lunches. Tyler's lunch from home (this includes both cupcakes) had 1,014 calories, 45 grams (40 percent) of total fat, and 10 grams (9 percent) of saturated fat. He ate 21 grams of protein and 155 milligrams of calcium, but n
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