From Dave on Wed, October 12, 2011

Educate everyone (kids and educators alike) about our food system and where food comes from. Let them know the consequences of eating unhealthy, processed food, and show them alternatives.

From Kathy Bassett on Wed, October 12, 2011

I would discuss the issue with a man who is already making a difference with school lunch programs…Will Allen of Growing Power in Milwaukee.

From Katie Leone on Wed, October 12, 2011

By cutting out the sugar and adding in local produce.

From Shannon Petitjean on Wed, October 12, 2011

A School Club/Organization of students that works in partnership with local farmers that is maintained by a teacher at the school (Science, Social Studies, Vocational Cooking, for example) and helps the school district fit what is purchased from local farms into their budget. If in an urban area, make a partnership with vendors at the nearest Farmer’s Market. Also if space allows create a School/Community Garden on or near the school grounds. Incentives to the students to eat fresh & local produce- we have scholarships for education so why not scholarships for quality nutrition while the student is still developing their brain. Thank you for your time.

From Bernie JBaines on Wed, October 12, 2011

I too would Model Milwaukee/Chicago’s Will Allen’s Growing Power and Gretchen Mead’s Urban Ecology Victory Garden Initiative.

From Kyna on Thu, October 13, 2011

Let’s start with kitchens actually cooking meals and not warming up food.

From Samantha Smith on Thu, October 13, 2011

We cannot insure that our kids are getter better nutrition during their school lunch until we obtain a more efficient/equip local food system! Public schools have such a small budget to feed students everyday, that purchasing wholesome ingredients and fresh produce is not economically feasible. We need more small farm cooperatives that work together to grow the food, and store it through the winter months. (when most schools are in session)

I am a school-teacher and I refuse to the eat the lunches served and am horrified on a daily basis that our students are subjected to the nutrient-deficient menu.

From Nancy on Thu, October 13, 2011

Every school should have a garden that serves to 1)involve and educate all children about whole, unprocessed foods and agriculture through various curriculum that involves hands on gardening 2) provide seasonal,local, and healthy menu options for their school foodservice program.  A food/nutrition education class should also be fundamental in every grade.

From Ann on Thu, October 13, 2011

Fund the schools properly.  Our school profits from school lunch sales, so PopTarts and Izzy will remain on the menu as long as they sell.

From Dawn wetmore on Thu, October 13, 2011

Anxious to share this with colleagues at our school where we are beginning discussions on a school garden project to supplement our school lunch program.

From Carin Scheve on Thu, October 13, 2011

Coming from Italy, where all kids eat a full, healthy meal that’s cooked in school,  I wish often this could be followed here as well.

From Mary on Thu, October 13, 2011

Educate parents, and use locally grown food within the program as much as possible.

From Mrs. G on Thu, October 13, 2011

The factory aspect does not end at the farm or the central kitchen: The children are herded through the line. “Quickly, children, quickly! Do not stop when you grab your milk; choose two sides, any two sides, and do not hold the line up. Scan your card, do not make eye contact, for saying thank you takes too long.” Lunch is rushed, it’s a wonder if any of them remember what they ate, and when the trash can rolls by their place is wholesale cleared off by an adult-foam tray, plastic cutlery, uneaten food-whether they are finished or not. It honors neither the producer, the server, nor the eater.

From Mrs H. on Thu, October 13, 2011

When I was in elementary school in the late 70’s our lunch was like eating at Grandma’s house. Everything was made there, we had turnip greens, pickled beets, turkey and dressing! Chicken pie with mixed veggies! Not so yummy in Junior high, but we had a SALAD BAR! High school was back to grandma’s kitchen with the bonus salad bar.

My kid’s school has no cafeteria, they heat up pre-packaged mystery substances. Therefore I pack their lunch every day. My kids and I both wish they had a salad bar, filled with good things from local farms.

I think kids need a fresh choice. School gardens are an awesome idea. Healthy minded kids are more likely to eat something they helped to grow, than something reheated that came in on a truck.

From Crystal Moore on Thu, October 13, 2011

One HUGE step to helping not only with school lunches but with obesity in general and bonus points to the environment and animal lovers would be to STOP subsidies to Livestock Grade Corn.  Doing so would increase the price of meat, thus making smaller portions the norm.  Lower consumption means less animals raised in CAFOs means less damage to environment.  Which is on top of the decrease in damage that’s caused by the overuse of nitrogen fertilizers.  That same corn, grown for animal consumption, is processed out the wazoo and then fed to humans via flavorings, colorings, preservatives, etc in all sorts of foods but most especially in junk foods.  Higher prices for those ingredients means smaller portions/higher prices on junk food which would likely result in lower consumption overall.  Then take that bucketload of funds and instead invest it in fresh fruits and vegetables.  Making it affordable not just to families but also to school districts who want nothing more than to give their kids a healthy and tasty meal but simply cannot afford it.

My thoughts anyways.  Seems like if all the environmental groups and the animal rights groups and the vegetarian groups, and all the parents, teachers and staff of school age children banded together this is something we could get passed.

From Sarah on Thu, October 13, 2011

The US needs an education revolution. Studies have proven that the typical, highly processed public school lunch, in addition to being unhealthy for the body, contributes directly to emotional and mental clarity. If we want to see more and more students succeeding in school, increased enrollment in institutions of higher education and dependably capable work forces in the generations to come, we have to start paying closer attention not only to how we nourish our children’s minds, but also their bodies.

We have to make our voices heard and demand that our children be given a better start. The more successes we achieve through grassroots campaigns, the stronger our collective voice will be on the state and national levels. This means more parents and community members expressing our concerns to School Boards, to members of City Council, to our State Representatives and to Washington.

People, it’s time to start looking out for one another and fighting together for the future of humanity, our children.

From Ashley Edwards on Thu, October 13, 2011

Educate all those in involved to be passionate about health, nutrition, and food ethics. If there is genuine passion, there will be demand and eventually supply.

From Victor on Thu, October 13, 2011

When I was in elementary school, I was on the reduced/free lunch program and we ate whatever was free because my mother was a single parent - it was one less thing for her to think about.  Had she known about what actually went into our meals, I truly believe she would have been more vocal about this from the start. 

One direct actionable item to start is to begin to have dialogue with parents about in the PTSA-style format where they are able to be informed about the decisions.  Perhaps meetings can be included on a copy of the monthly school lunch calendar to indicate times when these conversations can happen.

Though I must say I have fond memories of rectangle pizza, chocolate milk and Edith who came out behind the lunch counter to give students second helping of turkey tetrazzini.

From Genna Cherichello on Thu, October 13, 2011

We can create a better food system together by becoming more involved with it: purchase food as close to the producer as possible, volunteer time to work-trade for your food, cook, and eat together. If we do these things, or even think about doing them, they will become more widespread and the system will slowly but surely change.

From B Badell on Thu, October 13, 2011

I believe educating all involved is the key.  Students and parents need to be empowered with the nutritional information so they can make great menu choices.  Then they can help the schools make changes.  Administrators need the understanding on nourishment of the brain and the impact on learning. Then, together, brainstorm on how to make it happen for their school.  My vision for years…

From christy on Thu, October 13, 2011

School gardens at each school. This simple method can be integrated across the curriculum, addressing all subjects, and therefore not take any extra time from the curriculum while building valuable and practical lifelong skills.

From Jennifer Lavender-Schott on Thu, October 13, 2011

I would connect with local non profits that are developing city green spaces to get local veggies, etc. brought into the school to add to the lunch menus.

From Toña Aguilar on Thu, October 13, 2011

At our elementary/middle school we have begun a scratch-based kitchen using mostly organic and local whole foods.  We have doubled the numbers of meals served per day, massively reduced the waste, and are educating students on where their food comes from.  Parents have built us a 3-bin compost system and some families stop by at the end of the day to pick up vegetable scraps to take home to their chickens.  We have also cleared a large space on our site for a garden so the students can soon take part in the growing of produce. 
We are a public charter with about 50% of our student population on the USDA’s National School Lunch Program so we work within those guidelines to be reimbursed. 
We want to share our successes and challenges with other schools and districts in their efforts to enact positive, healthy changes in their food service systems. 
Our local community has been extremely supportive and we have many parent volunteers who have helped make it successful thus far. 
Check out our FB page for regular updates on our efforts!
http://www.facebook.com/VillageSchoolKitchen

From PateArlene25 on Thu, October 13, 2011

It’s well known that money makes us independent. But how to act when somebody has no money? The only one way is to receive the business loans and just auto loan.

From Sarah McCroan on Thu, October 13, 2011

Start school wide community gardens and incorporate them into cross-curriculum lessons that really put healthy food in children’s hands after they’ve invested their own sweat in it.

From Anna Wise on Thu, October 13, 2011

Get your voice heard at school and district level and mobilize other parents, school staff, etc., learn about successful school best practices, draw up a plan. Don’t give up.

From Chris on Thu, October 13, 2011

It’s vital for parents, teachers, and the community at large (schools are funded by taxpayer dollars!) not only to be aware of the current situation, but take an active role in helping to change it.  School lunch is often the only real meal a child gets.  Perhaps schools could be the future training grounds for chefs, with culinary schools pitching in staff in exchange for real world experience and the chance to make a difference in so many lives.

From Clea Shannon on Thu, October 13, 2011

Get kids involved hands-on with their food! The more our children grow, cook and interact with their food first-hand the more connected they become to what they choose to put into their bodies. I love the initiatives for school gardens and cooking classes. Keep up the great work!

From Andrea Notch on Thu, October 13, 2011

We can create better school food systems by keeping it local. Start school gardens where students and faculty participate. These can be both indoor and outdoor depending on the season/climate. This can reduce some food costs. Also, employing locals to work in the kitchen. Rather than placing frozen trays in an oven, hire more part-time workers as food prep staff OR require a certain amount of volunteer time by parents/other students. For real change though we need to work at the policy level. The IOM needs to push for further changes with the meal pattern, more regulation needs to be in place on high sugar, salt and fat foods and more emphasis on whole grains, salad bars, 1% milk (NO flavored milk) and lean protein w/ economical vegetarian options….Policy change also needs to happen at the level of the farm bill where we stop subsidizing corn and soy and rather fruits and vegetables. Farmers have been bailed our just as much as the banks and all the while have been limited and quieted and hindered…we need to work together as voters and as democratic citizens to mobilize and call for change as well as members of communities as neighbors and parents and mentors…

From Kristen on Thu, October 13, 2011

To ensure a better food system we must serve fresh fruits & vegetables, whole grains, and less dairy and sugary snacks/drinks. Eliminate the junk and grow a garden on school grounds- have the children understand the connection between growing and eating!

From Wes on Thu, October 13, 2011

We need a combination of holistic education, legislation changes, and integration of local economies.

From Lynn on Thu, October 13, 2011

By integrating local produce and products into the school lunch program.  This increases the nutrient value each and every student is receiving.

From Lisa Len on Thu, October 13, 2011

Educating our children, and educating our parents.  The parents can be a very influential lobbying group if they are educated and passionate about an issue involving their children.

From Patricia Rathgeber on Thu, October 13, 2011

Good Morning! I strongly believe one way that we could better our school systems, would be to hire school district employees whom know about sustainable living and whom promote healthy living, activity, local-eating and the green movement. The only way we can influence the children, whom are our future, is to teach them the importance of sustainable living as early as possible. They should have recycling bins in each classroom, for easy access, not to mention the refunds would go to the school/classroom for items they desprately need. Schools should host a Clothing Swap every six months, that way smaller kids can take advantage of gently used/outgrown clothes of the older kids. I believe all schools should have a central garden, where each class is responsible to tend a sq portion of the garden to teach them responsibility, to not be afraid to get dirty, promote healthy activity and to teach them appreciation and the satisfaction of growing and producing an item of patience all by themselves!

From ALAN on Thu, October 13, 2011

We can create a better food system for our children by allowing them to grow it themselves on school campus’s. If we were to get rid of all the subsides that go to producing junk food we would have a surplus of money we could spend on reeducating youth on how to eat properly and fund their garden project.
GMOs need to be labeled or better yet..banned! Sustainable agriculture, biodynamic farming, permaculture and community gardens will replace agri-business.

From Kristen McLane on Thu, October 13, 2011

Our school district has already taken a baby step by implementing a farm to school program. Basically, one seasonal item is chosen from a local farm to add to the school’s salad bar. I would love to see more - as in ingredients purchased from local farms used in entire lunch meals, not just the salad bar. I also feel that education has to come from the classroom and classroom sponsored events. My son’s 2nd grade class took a field trip to a local discount grocery store last year to “learn where food came from”. As background, the grocery store is one of the school’s local sponsors so in essence the field trip was a marketing event for the store. My 7 year old came home with a goodie bag which included the following: a loaf (yes, loaf) of white bread, a juice box, a snack-size bag of potato chips, and a regular size box of snack donuts. Each child received a bag. I was appalled! Oh yeah,the bag also included a picture to color - with instructions to turn the picture in to the cashier in exchange for a full sized candy bar. I kid you not. In the teacher’s defense, she was not aware of the goodie bags beforehand.

Our family belongs to a CSA and we visit our local farmer’s frequently. We have taken our CSA farm tour to “see where food comes from” (hint, it’s not the grocery store).

I’d also love to see funding for a school garden. Several teachers have and maintain garden plots in front of their classrooms but there has been no organized group effort for a “community” garden. I’d also love to see more emphasis on recycling/composting.

From lmarina on Thu, October 13, 2011

Children learn by doing slow food nutrition from classroom food & cooking or raw food blender preparations like blenders smoothies.
Teach whole organic foods is medicine &
Essential nutrition for body & emotional spiritual social interaction.

There are already numerous holistic school & restaurant gardens to study online that the kids can google discover research study & share in reports in front of class wt videos or slide shows.  Slow Food could offer discount prices to all american schools to carry their slow food dvd as a teaching resource even especially school & public libraries.  Stop Obesity wt learning good eating habits & what foods
Make you fat.  Learn abt exercising wt good nutrition.

Then bring them outdoors to follow Alice Water’s decades old programs of the “Edible Schoolyard” by turning over turf,  a designated area of the playgrounds or front yards or next door “Community Gardens” like at Manoa Elementary school in Honolulu Hawaii. 

Or better yet container gardening in classroom & each child grows own container plants at home which shares wt family learning & cooking. 
First Lady Michelle Obama is great example of growing a Victory Garden on White House grounds during our hard economic times.  There is movement to Grow Rooftop Gardens for quality control of food served in exclusive restaurants. 

Go on field trips wt kids to the organic growers nearby or bring them to the local natural foods stores to compare quality & prices.

Lots to do to keep our children wholistically healthy & happy & consciously aware of what they will eat & drink for rest of their lives.

Aloha oy from honolulu

From Deirdre Holmes on Thu, October 13, 2011

We’ve started an improved recycling program and a new composting program this year.  Kids have already become more thoughtful about their lunches - wanting more real food since it does not come in packages, watching what they compost, and leaving much less trash on the floor in the cafeteria. The lunch staff is also able to come have a look in the compost toter to see what is not being eaten and adjust menus accordingly.

From Kim Wall on Thu, October 13, 2011

My daughters are 3 yrs and 3 months. It horrifies me to think of the processed junk the schools may be feeding them in a few short years. 

In addition to serving healthier options, I would like to see schools developing teaching gardens where kids can learn about growing and caring for their own food.

From Andrea Farrington on Thu, October 13, 2011

Schools should collaborate with local organic farmers more.  We should not be feeding our kids the garbage that they are getting in most schools right now!

From Laura Piazza on Thu, October 13, 2011

It’s such a sad situation. My mom and I wrote a cookbook that contains over 150 recipes made from all whole foods, promotes buying locally and organic and has easy-to-make, healthy and delicious recipes. Amazingly, to us, to some readers this is a real shock to their system.

It must be because it is much more expensive it is to eat this way. Unfortunately people don’t take their health into account when they factor in how much they are spending on groceries. If we were all to make our meals from scratch, cutting out all refined and processed foods, we’d be much healthier as a whole, thus reducing our health care costs.

Education needs to start at home, as some parents have no idea how unhealthy poor quality food can be. Eventually , one can hope, it will catch on and parents will join together to effect a change in the lunch programs.

Either that or have their kids bring lunch until no one is buying them forcing them to realize the problem.

From Kelly on Thu, October 13, 2011

By having school based gardening programs and eliminating processed foods.

From Karen on Fri, October 14, 2011

How can we can we create a better school food system?

We can create a better school food system by finding ways to make buying fresh/local easier and more economical.  Also some education to the food services.  Their idea of healthy seems to be “meets minimum requirements to not be considered junk.”  In my house, this food is junk.

And get rid of the styrofoam lunch trays. That drives me absolutely crazy.

From Mira Dessy on Fri, October 14, 2011

Add curriculum to the schools through their health, personal and family development, and science programs to teach children and their families about healthy nutrition.

Reach out to families as part of the education process, get them involved so that they understand.

Most importantly get the school administrators on board.  All to frequently good programs are waylaid by cafeteria programs that “own” the school kitchen and only provide what makes money rather than what promotes health.

From J Godon on Fri, October 14, 2011

Encourage a supportive educator to teach children about advocacy. Assist with creation of a week-long nutritional awareness curriculum culminating with a lunchroom boycott.  Invite the media, school board and school administration.

From Kristin on Fri, October 14, 2011

You ask, ‘How can you create a better school food system?’ and the answer is multi-step approach. 
The first step, and one of the primary areas that need to be addressed, starts with the government.  Our school districts that are part of the National School Lunch Program receive commodities (aka the brown box) based on the free and reduced number of students, it is money that is allocated to the district to purchase food items.  It is these brown box items that should be targeted.  Many of the overly processed items that schools use come directly from the government.  The schools are doing what they can and most of the meals are built for a dollar plus the cost of milk.  Have you seen what your school district charges for a lunch?  Tell me one restaurant that uses fresh local items and sells it for the same price as a school lunch meal; I’ll let you use the adult meal cost (they range from $1.75 to $4.00).  I have yet to have found one restaurant that could do this. 
The second step is the regulations of what makes a ‘meal’.  Again, unfortunately, this goes directly back to the government.  It is dictated to the schools what is considered nutritious and how to make a reimbursable meal (see the new MyPlate Guidelines).  While it has improved over the past 10 years, it still has a way to go and too much red tape slowing it down.  While communities can do everything to try to make the system better all efforts will fall short of the requirements until the government changes policy.  It has taken many, too many years, to become as bad as it is and it will not be able to be changed and implemented overnight.  We need time that we really just do not have. 
The third step is education.  Not only of those in school but of the parents/community.  People as a whole need to be taught what food really is and how to properly cook/not cook it.  It goes to the idea of you don’t know what you don’t know, and frankly as I see it many people just don’t know.  This involves helping those to understand what a vegetable is; too many have grown up with them being sneaked into their food.  We can educate the schools (lunch ladies) but until the community is educated the system will not improve.  Education needs to be more than a paper coming home or a class you have to pay for, it needs to come from those that know being willing to step up and show others hands on and for free.  People need to be taught with their hands and eyes being involved what size of protein you should consume (a deck of cards is hard to visualize) and that not all protein sources have to come from animals.  They need to understand how to properly cook/not cook items so the greatest nutritional value is consumed.  It’s great we have chef’s going into schools to help teach this to kids, but who is teaching the parents and the community?  A drive thru, while improving, is not the best bang for your buck – yeah it cost a bit more to go purchase groceries and it takes time to prepare them for meals, but convenience comes at a price too.  You are either going to pay for it now or pay for it later, either way you are paying.  And the price down the road will be more costly. 
Another step, four, is we need to move.  Schools need to have the funding to keep the physical education department and playgrounds for all levels not just elementary.  Kids need to get outside and have fresh air; they also need to have physical movement for at least an hour a day.  I must say that the PE class that kids participate in today in school is lacking in fundamentals and needs to revert back to the time when kids ran a mile a week because that is what the class did (not as an elective sport).  When did physical education become an elective class that some students take and not required by all?  I would say, let’s focus on the schools, but active lifestyles really start in the home so some focus needs to be placed there as well. 
A bonus step, five in my mind, would be to look at other food funded programs (WIC comes to mind).  Have you seen what is ‘approved’ to purchase under WIC?  I have never been on WIC, but every trip to the local grocery it is in my face on what is and what is not included in this program.  You go through the fresh produce department and not one fruit or vegetable is included, but dear goodness all the frozen stuff is and the lovely loaf of white no nutrient bread and the processed cereal.  It is sad to see what is in the carts of people on this program, mostly what is missing from these carts. 
I could continue with my passionate ranting, this is an area that I feel strongly about and do everything I can to help teach my household and surrounding neighbors about and I know that my part however little does add up and becomes part of the greater good to make change happen. 

I have read many of the other postings and while some I agree with and some I do not the most important thing that we all need to remember is that it is only with small positive steps forward that you can bring change and that needs to start with what circle of influence you have and what you do with it - as a whole we are greater together then we will be separately.  Get involved and help make change happen, don’t just complain about the system if you are not going to do something about it.

From Karen Doyle on Sat, October 15, 2011

Develop an accreditation program for local farmers to become suppliers of school lunch ingredients, starting with CSAs and Farmers’ Markets where natural markets and standards already exist.  Develop a goal of replacing 25% of the ingredients in year 1 with a 75% goal in year 5.  Direct grant monies toward incentivizing participation by local farmers.

From Kat on Sat, October 15, 2011

How about we quit sending school admin to Hawaii for “conventions” and use the $ for the children

From Heidi Brewer on Sat, October 15, 2011

We can create a better food system by connecting more with local food sources.  I am a teacher and I have often heard our food service director say that we need to provide food kids like.  I don’t disagree with that statement, but I think we can provide those foods in a healthier manner.  Use local potatoes to make baked fries or even use sweet potatoes.  We can serve cheese burgers with locally grown and grass fed beef, local cheese and homemade buns.  Even Heinz ketchup has an organic variety and a variety with no high fructose corn syrup.  We can introduce kids to foods they don’t know they like yet as well.  We have a garden at our school and we do a soup night each year with the bounty we have grown including carrots, butternut squash and sweet potatoes.  I offer kids credit for attending soup night, but they have to at least try the soup in order to try the soup.  Not only do they try it, most of them are surprised when they actually like it.

From Kelly Hudak on Sat, October 15, 2011

I love the school farm programs! I think it’s really important that kids get hands on experience as to how their fruits, vegetables, herbs etc can come from healthy soil that is cared for in the right way! At that point the kids are a part if the process. They are rewarded with a sense of accomplishment and well being as they learn what makes their body perform at the optimal level.

From Lindsay on Sat, October 15, 2011

It all starts with the dirt.  If every person eating from the system has at some point the chance to get their hands dirty and experience some part of the real food system, then the internal change can begin that will then initate the external change.  But it has to begin and end with the dirt.

From Anne on Sat, October 15, 2011

Invite/encourage parents to volunteer in the lunch room, both preparing and serving the food, so they learn how the sytem works and can recommend practical, realistic improvements to the status quo.

From Morgan on Sat, October 15, 2011

How can we create a better school lunch system? It’s already been created; effective systems been tested and proven already in certain areas of the country. We are no longer at a point of “creation”, we are at a point of looking at current programs and systems, analyzing best practice and research analysis, and bringing effective systems to other parts of the country. Each school, school system, city, and state is unique- they all have different challenges, are all in different states of readiness and application at this point, and all have unique assets to bring to the table. The job is much less trial-and-error of creation, and rather deep analyzation of unique, local areas and implementation of specific, local programming.

Durham is a prime example. While North Carolina has a somewhat strong Farm-to-School program going statewide, our county and school district have yet to participate in any way, shape, or form- this despite the fact that we are surrounded by beautiful, lively farms and farmers, a growing, beautiful local food movement in our restaurants and community, a “on the rise” downtown scene, including a local farmers market every weekend, and so much more. We need to utilize these resources and all come together as a community to start implementing new procedures for getting fresh, local produce from our local farmers into local school lunches. The ideas and resources are out there, we need people and will to make it happen.

From Christian Thalacker on Sat, October 15, 2011

We must connect Slow Food (Great Nutrition) with Slow Energy (No Pollution).

23,000 people die a year from #1 cause of pre-mature death in the United States today: second-hand smoke

21,000 people die a year from #2 cause of pre-mature death in the United States today: petroleum diesel

School kids are most at risk.

School kids’ lungs operate 20X more than adults ...

The air quality INSIDE School Buses in the United States ARE 10X more polluted than the air outside the school buses.

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Contact Christian at Louisville Biodiesel today.

From Chris on Sun, October 16, 2011

I think creating a better food system in our schools is part of a multi-facted approach that needs to be one with restructuring the entire overhaul of the system.

Get rid of teaching to the test and start teaching kids valuable life-skills, including working in a community garden where the produce is then brought into the schools and used to feed our children.  Teach them the joy of growing healthy sustainable products that will then nurture their bodies rather than heating up some prepackaged mess that is full of chemicals and unpronounceable ingredients.

When you start at the very beginning of the child’s educational life and give them the tools that they can take back home and retroactively teach their caregivers, then you create a spiral of goodness that sets them up for a lifetime of food positivity and good health without the counter-productivity that feeding convenience foods in the name of getting something in their bellies without truly nurturing them, body or soul.

From Gabi Torres on Sun, October 16, 2011

Just yesterday I heard Tony Geraci speak about his successful farm-to-fork programs and the ways he has worked to make school lunches better. I also heard 2 other chefs speak about their work in this area and then of course there is the success of the New Haven school lunch program.
The key components these successful programs seemed to have were that they focused on the children, they involved the children and there were chefs involved who wanted to see change.
Someone else mentioned this, and I agree, it’s not about designing new programs, it is about looking at what has worked and applying that to your school district and it is about finding ways to convince the people in those districts that your idea is the healthiest and also financially possible.
There is a misconception that these programs are too expensive, but Geraci and others have shown that that is not true. They’ve actually shown that there are many benefits to better lunches: from supporting local farmers and your local economy, to increasing the nutritional value of the meals, to teaching children about where their food comes from, how to grow food and how to advocate for themselves to increasing school lunch participation thus increasing revenue.  As Geraci said, as more food programs change, the novelty will become the expectation and then it will become the norm.

From Brian on Sun, October 16, 2011

by bringing back “home ec” classes and giving them a makeover - curriculum designed to educate students about our food system, without the agenda of agribusiness or lobbyist and politicians.

From christine on Sun, October 16, 2011

change the mission of a school lunch…to feed the mind, body, and spirit…as opposed to feeding the corporations…

a student tended school garden can complement procurement of local products and could become a small csa…a community teaching kitchen to educate the student, the family to the value of cooking together and sharing food…a student run waste program to teach composting, recycling…an upcycling “shop” class…health and nutrition classes which teach the link between food and health…eat better, exercise more, take fewer pharmaceuticals (not what the fda wants, but hey)...

as it is, we teach to “the test” which leaves our families, children lacking basic skills and motivation and desire to learn…

we must literally, change from the ground…up…now…

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From Joe on Mon, October 17, 2011

Educate the kids on proper food selection and then remove the sugary items. Build relationships with local farmers to get produce.

From Brenda Ruiz on Mon, October 17, 2011

Ask the students to weigh in on creating a system of school food that is healthy, tasty, and accessible. Young people are our partners in finding a solution to the problem of unhealthy foods in schools. They are not simply recipients. We adults “got it wrong” for decades for a myriad of reasons for which we are all responsible.

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From Karen on Mon, October 17, 2011

Reading through responses, I see a lot of people say “educate” ... but that is NOT the answer. The children are educated! At least in our school they are. They learn all about the food pyramid (or now it’s called “My Plate.”)  The problem is that we don’t know what is in the food they are actually feeding our children.  My school claims they bake their chicken nuggets, but they don’t tell us how much fat and filler is mixed in there.
How about schools add nutrition labels to foods, maybe online, so that parents can make better choices?
I think we are all plenty educated. They just pull the wool over our eyes when it comes time to serve the children

From Gwen on Tue, October 18, 2011

Whole foods. No white carbohydrates. Increase low and no process foods. These are less expensive and more nutrient dense than the white processed crap that is served. I think eating the box it comes in would at least give you fiber, although not recommended. Like going to the restaurant where the most nutritious item is the garnish! Read all his books starting with The Botany of Desire.

From Gwen on Tue, October 18, 2011

Many Of you are advertising or talking like politicians. Educate, do a study, write a research paper! Seriously, Just get it done. Buy a food cart and sell the good foods. Park at a local high school a different one each day once a week each school. You will have a line for an hour and a half and couldn’t sell fast enough! The cost of school lunches is high and quality is low.

From Eric Olson on Tue, October 18, 2011

Bring volunteers into the kitchens to help prepare the lunches- cutting veggies, preserving food, etc. Record their time and provide them with credit on their school taxes in return for the time they spend.

From supreme11 on Thu, October 27, 2011

Just two weeks after 30,000 of you came together and took the $5 Challenge, the Partnership for a Healthier America—the foundation created for Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign—has announced they’re up to the challenge, too.

Regards,
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