November 5, 2010
Putting Nutrition at the Head of the School Lunch Line
By LESLEY ALDERMAN

THE lunch menu at my son’s elementary school — Public School 29 in Brooklyn — looked very tempting recently: vegetarian chili, sofrito brown rice, confetti corn salad, pico de gallo, salad bar, milk. Making the menu even more appealing was the price: $1.50.

When a school lunch is nutritious and tasty, it’s one of the best health bargains around. Lunches provided through the National School Lunch Program, which is subsidized by the federal government, cost parents about $1.25 to $2, typically less than it would cost to make the meal at home. For lower-income families, the bill is less, or even free.

P.S. 29 students are lucky; their school participates in Wellness in the Schools, a nonprofit program that places culinary school graduates in New York City public schools to create appealing meals from wholesome ingredients. Across the country, many other school districts are beginning to make healthy food a priority by starting school gardens, using local produce and involving parents in the meal planning.

Still, at many schools, lunches are neither tasty nor nutritious. While more than 70 percent of schools serve lunches that meet the guidelines for nutrients like vitamins, minerals and protein, many serve meals that are high in fat, salt and sugar, according to a School Nutrition Dietary Assessment study.

Even cafeterias that serve up healthy choices like whole wheat pizza, salad and bean burritos may also offer nutritionally suspect items like chicken nuggets and fries that children can buy on their own. A study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2006 found that 23.5 percent of high schools offered fast food from places like Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

School lunches must meet a minimum calorie limit set by the government, but it’s up to individual schools to decide how the calories are apportioned. If a meal has not reached the limit, the cook can toss on extra slices of bread to bring up the count.

“School lunches are based on an outdated idea — that hungry kids only need calories,” said Margo G. Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a health advocacy group. “But what hungry kids need is healthy food.”

If the White House has its way, school lunches will become universally healthier. The first lady, Michelle Obama, and the secretary of agriculture, Tom Vilsack, have made child nutrition a priority for the current administration and worked with Congress to make changes to the Child Nutrition Act which was passed by the Senate and awaits approval by the House. The updated bill gives schools more money to spend per meal, and includes provisions to upgrade menus and ban junk food from vending machines and lunch lines.

School lunches may be inexpensive, but it’s hardly money well spent if your child learns a lifetime of poor eating habits and has an increased risk of obesity, diabetes and other chronic (not to mention expensive) ailments. If you’d like to make sure your child is getting nutritious, affordable food, consider the suggestions below.

BACK TO SCHOOL Go to your child’s school and see for yourself what is being served. Pick a day and eat lunch with your child, or offer to volunteer in the lunchroom.

“One of the first indications of a good lunch program is enthusiasm among the people serving the food,” said Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University and author of “What to Eat” (North Point Press, 2007). Are the people who are making the food and serving it to the children engaged? Do they know the children’s names?

“If they take pride in their work, it will show in how they interact with the kids,” said Ms. Nestle.

Look at the quality of what is being served. Pizza can come from a fast-food distributor, or it can be made on the premises with fresh ingredients. Are there alternatives to the main entree? If a child does not like the vegetarian chili being served, for instance, is a server willing to offer the child a healthy alternative?

If you want to know more details about the school’s approach to lunch, ask to see a copy of the wellness policy. Every school district is supposed to have a policy that addresses school food, nutrition education and physical activity, Ms. Wootan said.

“You can also ask for the nutrition content of the entrees the school is serving — about half of schools track these numbers,” she added.

COACH YOUR CHILD If the school offers wholesome entrees, encourage your child to try them. Though school lunches are uneven in quality, children who eat them are more likely to drink milk and eat fruit and vegetables than those who bring their own lunch, according to data from the S.N.D.A.

“Be an advocate for your child’s food experience,” said the restaurant owner Henry Rinehart, who serves on the board of the New York Coalition for Healthy School Food and volunteers in the kitchen of his son’s Manhattan public school. “Serve on the food committee, approach local chefs and ask them to help upgrade your school’s menu,” Mr. Rinehart suggested.

START PACKING If school lunches are not a nutritionally viable option where you live (or your child is a very picky eater), then combine good nutrition with economies of scale. Rather than buy prepackaged food items, which are expensive, wasteful and often not that healthy, invest in a lunchbox, a Thermos and plastic containers for sandwiches, leftovers and vegetables.

“Packaged kids meals help children maintain a taste for salt and fat,” Ms. Nestle pointed out. “They also make kids think that they should only eat ‘kid food.’ ” For example, Lunchables, the popular meals-in-a-box for children, contain highly processed ingredients and beverages like Kool-Aid.

Instead, make sandwiches on 100 percent whole wheat bread, which has more fiber, vitamins and minerals than plain wheat bread. (Check the ingredients: whole wheat should be the first one listed.) Fill the sandwiches with cheese and tomatoes or peanut butter and jelly. “Sandwiches are ideal — they are portable, have several ingredients and a decent amount of calories,” said Ms. Nestle.

If you have leftovers from last night’s dinner — pasta, say, or lean meats — warm them up and place them in an insulated container in your child’s lunch. Give your child low-fat milk or juice that is clearly labeled “100 percent juice.”

Don’t forget some fruit and vegetables, too. Make sure the offerings look and taste good so your child won’t just dump them in the trash. Put steamed broccoli or baby carrots in one container and a tasty dressing in another for dipping. Cut apple slices and sprinkle them with lemon juice to keep them from getting brown (the excuse my child uses to toss them out).

Find more healthy options for children at tinyurl.com/6nlxft, under the pull-down themes “Lunchbox Fixes” and “Kids Week.”

And if your child still cries for Lunchables or pizza? Keep offering healthy options, suggested Mr. Rinehart, owner of Henry’s on the Upper West Side. “The best way to create a diverse eater is to let kids get a little hungry.”