Healthy Foods for School-Age Childrenby Drew Smith and Kyle Stern
The Problem: School LunchTypical School Lunch contains:
1 Bread item
1.5-2oz. Meat
8 oz. Milk
1/2 cup Vegetables or fruit
1 starch item
~1,400 Calories per meal
Facts and Statistics
Cost to feed one student (per day): $2.68
Yearly Budget for School lunch programs: $11B
Less than 1/3 of school food operations meet recommended standard for saturated fat in meals
McDonald’s and Burger King test their ground beef five to ten times more often than USDA tests beef sent to schools.
The Solution: ReformHealthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010
Enables USDA to monitor foods in schools.
Allows for programs such as farm to school, school gardens.
Ensures more local foods are included on the school lunch menu.
The Solution: Reform
The New School Lunch Menu:
Entrée: 1/2 cup whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce and whole wheat roll.
Vegetable options: 1/2 cup Broccoli, Green Beans, or Cauliflower
Fruit: 1/2 cup Kiwi Halves
8 oz. Low-fat Milk
Agents for ChangePhysicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
Website: http://www.healthyschoollunches.org
Tenets:
Provide healthy, vegetarian meal options to all students
Make menu offerings and nutritional requirements consistent with current scientific evidence.
Agents for Change
One Tray
Website: http://onetray.org
Tenets:
Encourage direct connection between farms and schools.
Nourish the nation One Tray at a time.
Agents for Change
Healthy Schools Campaign
Website: http://healthyschoolscampaign.org
Tenets:
Advocate for policies and practices that allow all students, teachers and staff to learn and work in a healthy school environment.
The Vision
“Priceless: school lunch” (YouTube link)
References
1. http://awesome.good.is/transparency/web/1105/lunch/flat.html
2. http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/Child_Nutrition_Fact_Sheet_12_10_10.pdf
3. http://healthyschoolscampaign.org
4. http://onetray.org/
5. http://www.healthyschoollunches.org/
6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lint8PiGuRY