Allergens and Meal Modifications
TSD Nutrition Services’ mission is to provide healthy delicious meals that support student growth and achievement. Management of special diets is accomplished through a multidisciplinary team approach with Nutrition Services staff, nurses, school health office assistants, and other school staff. Steps taken to manage special diets include:
- Nutrition Services offers a variety of menu choices which assists in meeting most dietary needs. The “offer vs serve” menu concept allows students to choose from a variety of items in each food group, which can help students accommodate their needs and preferences.
- Nutrition Services keeps a special diet alert active and provides modified meals for students with a completed Medical Statement for Meal Modification Form on file. New meal modification paperwork must be submitted to the Nutrition Services office in order to create a special diet plan to be reviewed with the family and implemented during mealtimes at school.
- Our interactive menus allow you to filter out food items that contain the top 9 allergens. The Nutrition Services office is also available to help parents identify, in advance, foods that potentially contain allergens. *Please note: While allergen lists are accurate to the best of our knowledge, documents are for informational purposes only and are based on information that manufacturers provide to the district. All items and allergens are subject to change without notice. Nutrition Services staff is not responsible for notifying a student that an item contains a certain allergen at the point of service. Students are responsible for knowing which items that they can and cannot take.
- Safe food handling practices are implemented to avoid preventable cross-contact with potential allergens. TSD Nutrition Services’ HACCP plan, which includes cleaning and sanitation procedures, is followed daily. *Please note: TSD does not use separate kitchens or equipment to prepare modified meals and cannot guarantee zero cross-contact.
Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that products used in our kitchen have been manufactured in facilities that are free from allergens. Most of our manufacturers do not provide precautionary labeling. That type of precautionary or advisory labeling is voluntary. However, all manufacturers in the US must follow current Good Manufacturing Practices as designated by the FDA, which help ensure food safety practices and reduce the potential of cross-contact for major allergens.
For any questions regarding special diets, please contact Kylie Baker, Nutrition and Special Diets Coordinator, at kylie.baker@tsd.org or (970) 613-5145.
Carbs and Allergens
Nutrition Services will no longer be using Preference Forms in the 2025-26 school year. All affected families were notified of this change by email in spring/summer 2025.
Nutrition Services has increased the number of entree choices, especially at secondary sites, to provide a variety of options to meet most of the needs that may have previously been covered by a Preference Form.
For students with a completed Medical Statement for Meal Modification Form on file, Nutrition Services will continue to provide modified meals and keep a special diet alert active.
If you have questions regarding the discontinuation of Preference Forms or regarding special diets, please contact Kylie Baker, Nutrition and Special Diets Coordinator, at kylie.baker@tsd.org or (970) 613-5145.
Medical Statement for Meal Modification
Medical Statement for Meal Modification (English)
Medical Statement for Meal Modification (Spanish)