Healthier school menus
(Staff photo/Barbara Haddock Taylor) Hampstead Hill Academy food manager Gwendolyn Moore prepares the cafeteria line for "Meatless Monday," a new feature for Baltimore city schools.
These days, school cafeteria food is not all pizza, hamburger and sloppy joes. Many schools are offering organic produce, vegetarian meals and other healthier alternatives.
My colleague John-John Williams IV reports that some Maryland schools are pushing for and have achieved more nutritious options even as the nation's schools have adopted the strictest health standards in history.
Some like Centennial Lane Elementary in Ellicott City have introduced more healthful snacks to students instead of the sweets and other treats. Baltimore City has adopted "Meatless Mondays" and has shifted to an effort to serve locally grown organic food. In Baltimore County, a parent group is pushing for more healthful foods. And nationally, the country's first lady is leading an effort to get children to eat more fruits, vegetables and low-fat foods.
John-John reports that the Howard County school system has one of the strictest nutrition standards in the country.
In 2006, the school board approved a food and wellness policy that eliminated the sale and distribution of food and beverages deemed to be of minimal nutritional value during the school day. It also prohibited the sale of soda at the primary-grade level and limited the amount of soda sold in vending machines at secondary schools.
As students prepare to go back to school in a few weeks, what else would you like to see in your child's cafeteria menu?
Are you satisfied with what schools are serving? What other changes do you think schools should make when it comes to nutrition?
Comments
How about they get rid of the disgusting strawberry milk and chocolate milk? Full of corn syrup, empty calories... How about just 2% milk, and perhaps a beverage option for lactose intolerant children? (Higher percentage of African-American children have lactose intolerance than white children, FYI).
Posted by: Baltomommie | August 12, 2010 3:40 PM
My kid is about to start kindergarten, and I looked over the Anne Arundel county school menus and was quite disappointed. Looks like AA Co is not working as hard in bringing healthier menus to schools as Howard Co.
Posted by: MadCow | August 13, 2010 10:02 AM