A slew of exotic dishes welcomed Newton students to the cafeteria last week in celebration of National School Lunch Week. The new dishes featured on last week’s menu — among them, General Tso’s chicken and fresh mango — were simply the latest developments in a school lunch program that has seen drastic changes since the school year began.

Among these federally-mandated changes were adjustments to portion size based on age, implementation of calorie caps on meals and the addition of more fresh fruits and vegetables to students’ lunch trays.

Although the changes came into effect for the 2012-2013 school year, Newton schools were ahead of the curve according to Cristy Croson, Newton school district’s food service supervisor.