Policy Text
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/02/ 12, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Santa Clara County Sheriff's
Office Dietary Guidelines - 1 Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office
Custody Manual
Dietary Guidelines
902.1 PURPOSE AND SCOPE
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the nutritional needs of the incarcerated person are
met, and that overall health is promoted through the use of balanced nutritious diets.
902.2 POLICY
It is the policy of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office that diets provided by jails will
meet or exceed the guidelines established in the current publications of the Dietary Reference
Intakes (DRI) set forth by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academy of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Dietary Guidelines
for Americans (DGA) 2020 -2025 (15 CCR 1241). Diets shall also meet or exceed the Santa Clara
County Nutritional Standards approved by the County Board of Supervisors.
902.3 REVIEW OF DIETARY ALLOWANCES
The Food Services management staff is responsible for developing the jail menus and shall ensure
that all menus served by Food Services comply with the nutritional and caloric requirements found
in the 2019 DRI, and the 2020 -2025 DGA guidelines (15 CCR 1241). Any deviation from these
guidelines shall be reviewed by the Sheriff and/or the Assistant Sheriff of Custody Operations or
the authorized designee and the Responsible Physician.
The Food Services management staff shall ensure that the jail menus and dietary allowances are
evaluated annually by a registered dietitian, and that any changes meet the DRI and DGA
guidelines. A registered dietitian must approve menus before they are use d (15 CCR 1242).
Menus should be evaluated at least quarterly by the Food Services management staff.
902.4 MENU CYCLE PLANNING
The Food Services management staff should plan the menus one month in advance of their use
and shall be approved by a registered dietitian (15 CCR 1242).
Any changes to the menu must be recorded and kept until the next annual inspection (15 CCR
1242). Any menu substitutions must use better or similar items.
Menus should include the following minimum food group allowances per day (15 CCR 1241):
(a) Dairy Group: Three servings of pasteurized fat -free or low -fat milk fortified with
Vitamins A and D or food providing at least 250 mg. of calcium and equivalent to 8
ounces of fluid milk. One serving can be from a fortified food containing at least 150
mg. of calcium. Persons who are known to be pregnant or lactating should receive
four servings of milk or milk products.
(b) Vegetable -Fruit Group: Five servings of fruits and vegetables. At least one daily
serving, or seven servings per week, shall be from each of the following three
categories: Policy
902
Docusign Envelope ID: A6048000-1D96-43E7-A2D8-A7AE210A1AF3
Copyright Lexipol, LLC 2025/02/ 12, All Rights Reserved.
Published with permission by Santa Clara County Sheriff's
Office Dietary Guidelines - 2 Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office
Custody Manual
Dietary Guidelines
1. One serving of a fresh fruit or vegetable.
2. One serving of a Vitamin A source, fruit or vegetable, containing at least 200
micrograms retinol equivalents or more.
3. One serving of a Vitamin C source containing at least 30 mg. or more.
(c) Grain Group: A minimum of six servings of grains, three of which must be made with
whole grains.
(d) Protein Group: Three servings of lean meat, fish, eggs, cooked dry beans, peas, lentils,
nuts, peanut butter, or textured vegetable protein, equivalent to 14 grams or more of
protein. The daily requirements shall be equal to three servings for a total of 42 grams
per day or 294 per week. In addition, a fourth serving from the legumes category shall
be served three days a week.
(e) A daily or weekly average of the food group's requirement is acceptable.
(f) Saturated dietary fat should not exceed 10 percent of the total calories on a weekly
basis. Fat shall be added only in minimum amounts necessary to make the diet
palatable. Facility diets shall consider the recommendations and intentions of the
2020 -2025 D GA goal of reducing overall added sugar and sodium levels.
Additional servings of dairy, vegetable -fruit, and grain groups must be provided in amounts to
meet caloric requirements when the minimum servings outlined in the requirements above are not
sufficient to meet the caloric requirements of an incarcerated person.
902.5 POLICY REVIEW
This policy shall be reviewed at least once every two years.
902.6 POLICY TRACKING
Date of Origin 01/25/2024
Review Date 02/12/2027
Revision Date
Date Approved 02/12/2025
Effective Date 02/13/2025
Supersedes New Policy
References DOC Policies