BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - Lunches at North Dakota schools are becoming less salty as districts find ways to cut down sodium levels in foods to meet federal nutrition standards.
The 2014-15 school year marks the first sodium target for schools at 1,230 milligrams per lunch for elementary students and 1,420 milligrams for high school students.
A child nutrition coordinator for Bismarck Public Schools says meeting those targets is a challenge because salt is in nearly everything.
The state is encouraging schools to make more items from scratch, instead of using processed or pre-packaged foods.
Congress passed a law in 2010 that gave the U.S. Department of Agriculture the authority to set new nutrition standards. Schools that seek federal reimbursement for student meals must comply with the new rules.