Hard-boiled eggs supply a “nutrient-dense” option for nutritious snacks in schools, according to the USDA Smart Snacks in School Standards. Schools can include hard-boiled eggs as snacks or à la carte items, as long as no fat has been added to them. We’ve got serving tips, packaging ideas and nutritional information designed to fit federal guidelines. With precooked, peeled hard-boiled eggs, it’s convenient too.
Hard-boiled eggs make an easy snack for students to grab-and-go or eat on the run. Any number of portable packages can hold a single hard-boiled egg, or one paired with veggies.
Eggs have yet to meet a vegetable they don’t like. In fact, one large egg with six grams of high-quality protein pairs perfectly with vegetables to round out a snack and help students feel full longer.*
* According to Smart Snacks standards, a whole, hard-boiled egg without added fat may be combined with veggies, fruit and other exempt foods, as long as calories and sodium limits are met.
Check out this link to the USDA’s Smart Snacks in Schools Standards. You’ll see, hard-boiled eggs are “exempt from the total fat and saturated fat standards, but must meet all other nutrient standards.”
Protein boxes are popping up everywhere, including school cafeterias, and hard-boiled eggs fit right in. Did you know eggs fit into special diets like vegetarians and gluten free, to name a few? Fact is, the protein profile of an egg can help supply that important nutrient for student athletes or students following special diets. You’ll find hard-boiled eggs are a versatile, affordable protein for snacking that satisfies students’ unique dietary needs.
OTHER HARD BOILED EGG IDEAS
Eggs are the “gold standard” upon which all other proteins are compared, because they contain all 9 essential amino acids and are easily digestible. Serving hard-boiled eggs as snacks will earn you good grades from your students!
Smart Snack Sources:
Tools for Schools http://www.fns.usda.gov/healthierschoolday/tools-schools-focusing-smart-snacks
Overview: Smart Snacks Standards http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/tn/USDASmartSnacks.pdf
Final Rule http://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/fr-072916d
Alliance for a Healthier Generation https://www.healthiergeneration.org/take_action/schools/snacks_and_beverages/smart_snacks/
References
1. USDA National Nutrient Database https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/112?fgcd=&manu=&lfacet=&format=&count=&max=50&offset=&sort=default&order=asc&qlookup=whole+eggs&ds=
2. Egg Protein as a Source of Power, Strength, and Energy Layman, Donald K. PhD; Rodriguez, Nancy R. PhD, RD, CSSD, FACSM http://journals.lww.com/nutritiontodayonline/Abstract/2009/01000/Egg_Protein_as_a_Source_of_Power,_Strength,_and.13.aspx