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Are Schools “Flunking” Lunch?
Posted on Wed, January 06, 2010 by Jerusha Klemperer
2 Comments | Categories: Labeling, Policy, School Food,
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The fundamental goal of the National School Lunch Program is to ensure that every student has daily access to a healthy meal, regardless of means. But according to a report authored by Colleen Kavanagh of the Campaign for Better Nutrition, the cost of keeping “competitive foods” (on-campus vending machines and school stores) in the lunchroom is undermining that goal.
Typically, school administrators allow vending machines and fast food stores on campus because they generate revenue for under-funded school programs. But Ms. Kavanagh’s report found that many schools are losing revenue on competitive food sales and are borrowing money from the school lunch program in order to offset those losses.
In other words, the cost of keeping Round Table Pizza in the lunchroom is preventing some schools from buying fruits and vegetables.
You can read Ms. Kavanagh’s report here.
Congress plans to renew child nutrition programs in early 2010, and strengthening nutrition standards for competitive foods is on the agenda. It’s also one of the policy goals of Slow Food USA’s Time for Lunch Campaign, which is mobilizing support for helping schools serve real food for lunch.
Member Comments
From FoodFitnessFreshAir on Wed, January 06, 2010
School lunches are incredibly terrible and underfunded. This is part of the reason why kids are increasingly becoming obese. If we teach kids in school how to eat healthy, and then serve them the exact opposite of what we’re preaching, it’s extremely hypocritical and futile. Parents should pack their kids’ lunches until the school lunch program finally makes some headway.
From underthebigbluesky on Wed, January 13, 2010
my eight year old daughter refuses to eat school lunches and recently said to me, “mommy, why can’t they give us sandwiches and fruit and a snack like you make”. she explained to me the whole layout with the sandwich section and the fruit section and the healthy snacks section.
perhaps she should work on the program.
