legislationwatch
SCHOOL LUNCH
PROGRAM
A Prime opportunity to
serve Up improvements
by Aimee witteman
T
he United States deserves an F on school lunch is the most important
any national report card on chil- meal of their day, constituting a third
dren’s nutritional health. One out of to half of their nutritional intake. As
three of our children are overweight. childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes
During the past 30 years, the rate of skyrocket, Congress is re-examining
obesity has quadrupled for children what shows up in school lunches and
ages 6 to 11 and tripled for those ages exploring ways to get healthier, locally
12 to 19. As a result, it is now predicted grown foods served up to our nation’s
that one in three children will develop kids.
diabetes in their lifetime. Admittedly, school lunch programs
Our education system has tra- are just one of several areas that need
ditionally held that reading, math, to be addressed to reverse the current
science and English classes form basic unhealthy trend, but many experts think
building blocks for success. But what that it’s one of the most critical.
lessons are our children learning daily Studies have shown that the
in their school cafeteria? nutritional quality of lunches is lack-
ing in many schools, as they mirror the
Why School Lunch is Vital national trend toward overly processed Farm to school programs
For many of America’s children, a foods that are low in fiber and high in
connect schools (K-12)
with local farms. Goals
include serving healthy
meals in school cafeterias,
improving child nutrition,
supporting local and re-
gional farmers and edu-
cating the public about
the links between agricul-
ture, health and nutrition.
22 Broward County
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