Panelists answered the following: Should schools be required to follow federal rules for healthy lunches even if the programs lose money?
Ruth Erickson: “With imagination and cooperation from USDA, local farmers, chef schools etc, food favorites can be recreated with various ingredients, giving the same flavors and textures, but with more nutritious and healthy ingredients. Food needs to be inviting, exciting and delicious with eye and taste appeal. By working together with input from food professionals and students with perhaps, challenges from ‘Food Channel’ competitions, we could work with favorite menu choices, but by modifying and re-designing some of the ingredients and introducing more interesting flavors. With creative cooperation, we should be able to work within school districts’ budgets.”
Mary Zanger: “Yes because profitable foods like puddings, cakes, cookies, chops and white bread make children obese. Simple foods like grapes, apples, whole grain breads, raisins and nuts slim children and require less preparation and less packaging. These guidelines are not difficult for food suppliers. Children’s health needs priority over profits. Remember whole-grain breads, corn tortillas, polenta and brown rice, once the domain of the poor, now become the choice of the nutritionist.”
Richard Place: “Only if we lower the politician’s salary to make up the shortfall.”
Marty Richman: “Yes, but it is the heavy-handed program that needs significant changes. There is no reason to do this the way they are doing it – it’s not effective. Offer meals that are healthy AND appetizing. Change the recipes and ingredients and do not force children to take anything they do not want; that is a waste of money and it’s counterproductive. You can get healthy pizza, burgers and fries, and don’t forget portion control. Limit the fries and don’t limit the fruit; put it out there for the taking.”
Nants Foley: “Kids need healthful food to keep their bodies fueled for learning. But how did schools become the food provider for children? That is the real issue here.”
