Like the ironic concept of “jumbo” shrimp, the idea of fresh school meals seems contradictory. After all, tater tots and chicken nuggets are staples in the country’s 30 million daily school lunches.
But the times are changing. With cheerleaders like Michelle Obama and Chef Jamie Oliver offering new models, school districts across the country are working to serve healthier food. From fighting childhood obesity to reducing food transport miles, the benefits are real…as are the challenges, including costs, red tape, and, of course, getting kids to actually eat healthy food.
Fortunately, many schools are overcoming these challenges. Administrators are making use of healthy lunch funding from the USDA and various nonprofits. For example, Denver Public Schools established edible gardens at dozens of its elementary schools, thanks to partner support.
And the country’s third largest school system, the Chicago Public Schools, overcame bureaucracy to launch its Eat What You Grow program. With new safety plans in place, cafeterias are now cleared to serve food from the district’s approximately 150 edible gardens.
Research shows that kids who have a connection to their food are more likely to eat it, whether it’s by picking a vegetable from the garden or helping prepare meals. That’s part of what inspired the Los Angeles Unified School District to add student-created recipes to its menu. It’s also partly why the Burlington school district hires students to maintain its gardens over the summer.
There is more to do. But the idea of fresh cafeteria food is becoming less of a myth everyday.
**********
.
Web Links
This segment was contributed by our friends at EcoMyths.
To learn more about this topic, please visit: http://www.ecomythsalliance.org/2013/09/fresh-school-lunch-is-an-oxymoron/
Photo, taken on October 24, 2012, courtesy of Cherrylet via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio. Support for Earth Wise comes from the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY.