On the menu at Houston ISD campuses in the new school year: salad bars at 20 or more schools, with reduced-sugar skim chocolate milk with reduced sugar everywhere.

Off: Strawberry flavored milk.

The district announced those changes — the kind that have drawn national attention elsewhere — in uncharacteristically low-key fashion in its weekly e-newsletter late Thursday.

The report said that the Houston Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association is involved long-term in funding salad bars at HISD cafeterias, starting with at least 20 schools in the coming school year.

It also detailed a new initiative with Texas farmers to use more locally grown produce in HISD cafeterias as part of a “Harvest of the Month” selection to acquaint youngsters with fruits and vegetables prepared in varied ways.

That, the newsletter reported, was in response to parents’ concerns about offering more produce in youngsters’ meals.

Finally, strawberry-flavored milk is being eliminated from the menu, and chocolate milk will have no fat and less sugar.

That’s just short of what the board of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the nation’s largest, approved on Tuesday. It banned all flavored milks after being targeted by school nutrition crusader Jamie Oliver on his national television broadcast.

The newsletter also indicated the district’s First Class Breakfast program, that provides a free, hot breakfast for every elementary and middle school student in their classroom, will be expanded to “several” high schools next year.

Parents have been drawn into the nutrition issue in HISD, serving on an advisory committee. The newsletter reported that committee members will be “stand side-by-side with our chefs in the kitchen” in coming weeks to “create even more nutritious recipes— food that tastes great and serves as the fuel for learning.”

What do you think about HISD’s healthy new emphasis? Weigh in here or on our Facebook page.