Nutrition Bulletin

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

 

Question:  I want to use a canned cheese sauce as part of my main entrée.  Can I count this as a meat/meat alternate?

 

Answer:  Cheese sauce and cheese soup can only be credited based on their formula.  It would have to be determined how much creditable cheese or cheese substitute is in the product.  Cheese sauce and cheese soup are not standardized products and therefore are not listed as an item in the Food Buying Guide.  In order to determine creditability, you would need to get the formula from the manufacturer and determine how much actual cheese was in a serving.  Cheese sauce formulas can vary widely. Chances are good that it would take more than an appropriate serving size to equal a serving of a meat/meat alternate. 

Cheese products, imitation cheese, canned cheese sauce, canned cheese soup, and powdered cheeses have no standard of identity and are not creditable.  Therefore, only homemade cheese sauces and soups may be credited as a meat/meat alternate because the ingredients can be controlled.

 

Question:  Is there any difference between a gallon and a #10 can?

Answer:   Yes, a gallon is larger. A gallon is equivalent to 16 cups while a #10 can averages 12-13 cups each. Schools typically purchase fruits and vegetables in cases of #10 cans. Therefore, when recording the quantity of canned fruits and vegetables used on the daily production record, be sure to refer to them as #10 cans.

 

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