Healthy School Lunches Are Not a Myth

This is the third installment of a three-part series on school lunch called "Turning the Tables." To read more of this series, click here and here.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) new guidelines for school lunches call for more whole grains and fresh produce as well as a reduction in fats, calories, and sodium. In other words, less french fries, more fresh fruit.

While some notable foodies like First Lady Michelle Obama applauded the recommended nutrition guidelines, others call the plan too ambitious. The School Nutrition Association (SNA), for example — which represents about 53,000 of America's cafeteria workers — says that reducing sodium and calories and increasing the amount of dark green and orange veggies is unrealistic. Incorporating more fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products is not only expensive, but the kids simply won't eat these meals, SNA members say.

But here's what the SNA may not realize: School lunch improvements are within reach for most cafeterias. How do I know this? Because some school lunch programs are already making huge strides forward even before the USDA finalizes its nutritional guidelines.

Take a peek into a handful of local schools' cafeterias and you'll see that healthy school lunches really do exist. Take Kentucky's Jefferson County Public Schools. Many of these cafeterias make meals from scratch using locally sourced strawberries, watermelon, apples, and asparagus. To ensure that students get to chow down on local produce all year long, cafeterias workers dice, vacuum pack, and freeze seasonal vegetables while they're at their peak of freshness. The County is also planning on building a network of 20 school gardens this year.

Still think nutritionally sound school meals are too good to be true? Then pop into cafeterias in Mississippi's Lamar County. In 2010, 11 of the county's public schools received a USDA Gold of Distinction Award or Gold Award for creating nutritious meals and comprehensive wellness programs. County schools ditched sugary goodies like Coke from vending machines. Instead, each school bakes whole grain breads daily and offers three-to-four fruit and vegetable choices during mealtimes. Some schools even have gardens where students can learn how to grow fresh produce and utilize healthy ingredients.

Schools in Idaho, Minnesota, Louisiana, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. boast similar improved meal programs — the list really does go on and on. So for naysayers to say that the USDA's beefed-up nutritional standards are unrealistic is nothing more than a cop-out. Sure, creating better school lunches on a budget is difficult — downright hard, actually. But as countless schools across the nation have proven, it's not only possible — it's imperative.

If you'd like to see healthier lunches and breakfasts in public schools throughout America, voice your support for the USDA's proposed nutritional improvements. Folks have until April 13th to submit their comments, and you can give the USDA's recommended guidelines your vote by signing the Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project's petition.

Photo credit: OakleyOriginals via Flickr