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: BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog

Fresh to frozen... the pressure continues

Back in May, BoardBuzz noted here the difficulty school districts faced in trying to prepare healthy meals for students as the price of food escalates. This week, an article found at MiamiHerald.com brought our concern back to the forefront. These South Florida school districts are showing BoardBuzz that more and more schools are forced to make cuts in school lunches, which, unfortunately, reverses their efforts to enhance the nutritional value of their meals. The biggest changes have included only offering fresh fruit twice a week at lunchtime, instead of every day for breakfast and lunch, and switching from whole grain to white bread. Students are noticing the difference and are asking for more healthy choices and fresher fruit. Erik Peterson, a spokesman for the School Nutrition Association, addressed the transition from fresh to frozen fruits and veggies saying, ''Kids anecdotally, they'll say they like the taste better of fresh produce and are more likely to eat it. Purely looking at nutrition, they are equivalent.'' We're glad to know that lunchrooms are still coming up with ways to meet wellness policies, but are hoping that the situation improves for the next year to keep students and lunchroom staff happy and healthy. Miami-Dade public schools agree, with Penny Parham, who is responsible for overseeing food and nutrition for the districts schools saying, "There is nothing wrong with baked apples, but we've worked hard to take school lunches to the next level." How is your school district working within the confines of more expensive food, while still trying to keep meals healthy? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

Full post as published by BoardBuzz: NSBA's Daily Weblog on June 06, 2008 (boomark / email).