Specifications include, but are not limited to: 1. Regular Hot or Cold prepared meals: may be delivered in bulk, daily to the sites by the proposer. These meals can be breakfast or main meals. 2. Cold Bag/Box (or unnecessary to heat): can be used as a daily meal, second meal of the day, a weekend meal, or for special circumstances. Individual components of the meals shall be individually portioned and wrapped as appropriate. 3. Frozen meals: pre-plated frozen meals combined with fresh or frozen supplemental foods to meet nutrient requirements. Frozen meals should include, at a minimum, preparation instructions and should be marked with use by dates. 4. Shelf-stable meals: composed of individually portioned foods that have been processed in such a manner as to be free of microorganisms capable of growth in the products at non-refrigerated conditions during distribution and storage. The packaging must be easy to open, clearly labeled, and include preparation instructions when needed. A multi-pack shall include menus to instruct participants on how to combine the foods to meet requirements. The box (or individually packaged items) should be clearly marked with a “use by” or “best by” date. Low sodium products should be used to the maximum extent when building shelf-stable meals due to the high sodium content of these types of products. Due to the nature of shelf-stable products, food items may be lacking in quality vegetables and protein, as well as several key nutrients, and therefore, are not appropriate for ongoing use. Shelf-stable meals may be used as Emergency Meals. 5. Texture Modified meals: may be hot or frozen and may be variations of the regular diet that are modified in food consistency, such as pureed or ground (minced and moist). etc. 6. Diabetic: a type of therapeutic meal that may be a variation of the regular diet and incorporates lean proteins, dietary fiber, healthy fats and a consistent carbohydrate content. If this meal type is included in the proposal, provide a narrative describing your diabetic friendly nutritional standards.
