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Offer Versus Serve
Offer versus Serve or OVS allows children to decline a set number of components at lunch and items at breakfast. Regulations require that OVS is implemented at lunch in schools serving students of a high school grade level (9-12). OVS is optional for schools serving elementary and middle school students (K-8). OVS is not allowed when serving reimbursable meals for preschool students following the NSLP preschool meal pattern.
Schools implementing OVS in their lunch program, must offer children all five components. Under OVS, all children must be given the choice to decline up to 2 full portions of the five components offered. However students must take at least ½ cup of fruit, vegetable, or a combination of the two for a reimbursable meal.
Schools which have OVS in their breakfast programs must offer all four food items to all children. Children then have the option to take only three items. Students must take at least ½ cup of fruit, vegetable, or a combination of the two for a reimbursable meal.
Please note the difference between breakfast and lunch with OVS. Breakfast focuses on food items, while lunch focuses on food components. For instance, at lunch, if a student selected at lunch a ½ cup of 100% orange juice and ½ cup of apple slices, this combination would be considered 1 component – Fruit. However at breakfast, if the student selected both the ½ cup of juice and the ½ cup of apple slices, even though they are both the same component, they are considered 2 separate items. This makes a difference when trying to determine a reimbursable meal.
When properly implemented, OVS should reduce food waste, since children would not be forced to accept food they do not wish to eat. The reduction of food waste may not be achieved, however, unless managers take care to avoid overproduction. To ensure proper planning for OVS, managers will need to keep accurate daily records of food production for each menu item.
