Our Ever-Fatter Kids
Are School Lunches Part of the Problem?

By Krine Kieswer

Kids today are more out of shape than any generation in U.S. history. And
what they eat at school is adding to the trouble. So PCRM nutritionists
went into the schools to rate the lunches that are being served.
The review included the largest districts in the United States and granted
high scores to schools serving low-fat vegetarian side dishes, fruit,
meat-less and vegan entrees, and non-dairy, calcium-rich beverages. There
were some bright spots ­ especially in areas of Michigan, Florida, Georgia,
and North Carolina ­ as well as some terribly unhealthy menus in, of all
places, in the nation¹s capitol. Here¹s how districts measure up.

Bucking the Trend

The "most improved player" award went out to the Detroit City School
District, which scored 94 percent this year ­ a remarkable improvement over
last year¹s score of 57 percent. Fruits (spiced apples, oranges, fresh
pears), vegetables (sweet potatoes, green vegetables, black-eye peas),
calcium-fortified juices, meatless entrees, and whole grain breads are now
offered daily, as well as vegan burgers three times per week. And students
can always find peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Innovative Nutrition Education Programs

The Philadelphia City School District, in partnership with Drexel
University, developed a program to help children connect healthy eating with
a healthy body. It¹s "Dragon Detective Agency" makes nutrition fun with
lessons such as "ReThink you Drink" and Inspector Veg E. Table," as well as
physical activity programs for weight management.
Overall, Clark County School District in Las Vegas scored low, but it
deserves recognition for a unique curriculum titled "Calcium Isn¹t Just
Milk," which focuses on calcium-rich foods such as beans and green, leafy
vegetables.

A Long Way to Go

While Detroit flourishes, vegetarian children in the District of Columbia
are out of luck. Meatless entrees are offered just once per week. With the
rate of childhood obesity on the rise in D.C., public schools should teach
sensible eating habits by making vegan options readily available. In view
of the high percentage of Hispanic and African American children in D.C., a
non-dairy source of calcium for lactose-intolerance kids is in order.

Roadblocks to Health

School districts face a number of challenges. Every year, the USDA buys
millions of pounds of excess beef, pork, milk, and other meat and dairy
products to bolster sagging prices in the livestokc industry. These
products are then distributed at very low cost to the National School Lunch
Program (NSLP), where they can fuel a child¹s lifelong struggle against
obesity and heart disease.
It costs a school district more than twice as much to provide a low-fat,
cholesterol-free veggie burger than it does to provide a high-fat hamburger
because government subsidies cover only hamburger meat.
Despite strong encouragement from health experts, the NSLP does not
reimburse calcium ­ fortified soymilk or orange juice. Again, schools must
shoulder the financial burden of providing alternatives to cow¹s milk.
The USDA does not provide recipes featuring plant-based entrees and
often fails to enforce its own nutritional guidelines, which requires
schools to serve meals with less than 30 percent of calories from fat. To
fully succeed in offering healthy lunches, schools districts need help from
Congress and the USDA.
Parents are encouraged to visit www.HealthySchoolLunches.org for
resources and to urge their local senators and representatives to ensure
only healthy commodity foods are allowed in the NSLP.
For further information, please contact PCRM nutrition projects
coordinator Jennifer Keller, R.D.
(jkeller@pcrm.org or 202-686-2210 ext.318

800-260-5534
510-526-7106
fax 510-526-9516