Study recommends school lunches include more fruits, veggies and whole grains / LJWorld.com

Archive for Tuesday, October 20, 2009

More veggies, fruit called for

Lawrence High school seniors, from left, Annum Chaudhry, Jasmine Sims and Alexx Fuller visit during lunch Tuesday in the school’s cafeteria. The Institute of Medicine has announced recommendations to make school lunches and breakfasts more nutritious. The proposed guidelines include limits on salt, fat and calories. Chaudhry said she felt pretty good Tuesday about her lunch choices, which included broccoli and some fruit.

By Lindsey Slater

October 20, 2009

Study recommends school lunches include more fruits, veggies and whole grains

Lawrence superintendent Rick Doll eats lunch about once a week at one of the schools. On Tuesday, he had a roast beef sandwich, a smattering of vegetables, fruits and a salad. Enlarge video

Lawrence superintendent Rick Doll eats lunch about once a week at one of the schools. On Tuesday, he had a roast beef sandwich, a smattering of vegetables, fruits and a salad.

Among recommendations by the Institute of Medicine:

• Each week, kids should be offered 2 1/2 to 5 servings of fruit for lunch, depending on their grade, and at least 5 servings of fruit for breakfast. No more than half the fruit servings should be juice.

• Kids should be offered 1 1/4 to 2 1/2 servings of vegetables for lunch, and a half-cup of dark green and bright orange veggies and legumes like beans should be offered at lunch.

• Children should be offered 9 to 13 servings of grain for lunch and 7 to 10 servings of grain for breakfast. At least half of those servings should be whole grains such as whole wheat bread, oatmeal and brown rice.

The district follows state and federal requirements when it comes to preparing food for its students, but a new study by the Institute of Medicine says the 14-year-old standards in cafeteria fare need to be updated.

“There’s a real fine line here,” Doll said. “It doesn’t do any good to have food in front of kids if they don’t eat it. You have to have healthy options in front of them so that kids choose to eat and what they choose should be healthy.”

The latest study recommends that youngsters need more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and minimum and maximum levels on calorie intake for breakfast and lunch. Current school lunch requirements don’t meet the government’s own dietary guidelines, which serve as the basis for the Food Pyramid and were updated in 2005.

“Today, overweight children outnumber undernourished children and childhood obesity is often referred to as an epidemic in both the medical and community settings,” Virginia Stallings, who chaired the report committee, said.

But these new recommendations come at a cost. The committee said breakfast prices could go up 20 percent, with lunch costs rising about 4 percent.

And since Lawrence’s food service is self-sufficient, those higher costs in food would mean more lunch money from kids.

“It’s cheaper sometimes to buy processed foods than it is to buy fresh food and prepare it so that kids will eat it,” Doll said. “Schools certainly run into some of that.

But even with healthy foods in front of students, they also need to know why they’re being offered certain meal components.

“We also have to help families educate kids that healthy foods are also good,” Doll said.

Reader poll

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Discussion

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20 October 2009
at 5:42 p.m.

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ScottyMac (Anonymous) says…

This comment was removed by the site staff for violation of the usage agreement.
20 October 2009
at 5:56 p.m.

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GardenMomma (Anonymous) says…

Hahahahahahahaha!

Oh my. Frunt.

Surely this is a typo? Jonathan?
20 October 2009
at 6:04 p.m.

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sunny (Anonymous) says…

Duh! Of course they need more fruits and veggies!
20 October 2009
at 6:10 p.m.

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gccs14r (Anonymous) says…

That's like the time Bart Simpson discovered his school served “Malk” with “Vitamin R.”
20 October 2009
at 6:18 p.m.

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BMI (Anonymous) says…

/Very thankful they have been too busy elsewhere to notice this.
20 October 2009
at 6:27 p.m.

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parrothead8 (Anonymous) says…

Maybe they're paying more attention to the frunt that's moving in than to the headline.
20 October 2009
at 6:29 p.m.

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parrothead8 (Anonymous) says…

For people who look at this later, the headline read:

“Study recommends school lunches include more frunts, veggies and whole grains”

20 October 2009
at 6:29 p.m.

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autie (Anonymous) says…

what an OMG moment. kids need more frunt and vegatables. what's next, exercise and fresh air?
20 October 2009
at 6:38 p.m.

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devobrun (Anonymous) says…

more frunts, vengies, and hole granes!

We'll all be hellthier.
20 October 2009
at 7:14 p.m.

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Renaissance (Anonymous) says…

Frunts are delicious.

seriously…spell check LJW folks.
20 October 2009
at 7:51 p.m.

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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…

“Renaissance (Anonymous) says…

Frunts are delicious.'

Marion writes:

Well, yeah, depending on what it is the “frunt” of, I suppose.
20 October 2009
at 7:51 p.m.

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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…

;)

(Rimshot!)
20 October 2009
at 7:59 p.m.

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jkealing (Jonathan Kealing) says…

Nice catch. I'm only sorry this was posted so close to when I left for the day so I couldn't join in on the fun.

Jonathan Kealing
Online editor
20 October 2009
at 8:28 p.m.

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Seamus (Anonymous) says…

It's really swell that an important story is distracted by idiotic concerns over typos. The fact is that it's criminal that kids aren't eating more whole grains, fruits and veggies. I know children who literally subsist on processed foods.
20 October 2009
at 8:42 p.m.

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BMI (Anonymous) says…

I think Seamus has been denied enough frunts to eat.He seems a little uptight on this subject.
Anyone got a spare frunt to share with him? Maybe a nice fuzzy peach or two?

20 October 2009
at 8:58 p.m.

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Seamus (Anonymous) says…

BMI probably owns stock in Monsanto, General Foods or some other huge concern with a vested interest in keeping Americans addicted to processed foods.
20 October 2009
at 9:11 p.m.

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parrothead8 (Anonymous) says…

Quit being such a curmudgeon, Seamus. We all have enough tough things going on…we deserve to have some fun with a typo. It's not like we're standing in the way of someone finding out about a huge secret…we've known for years that kids need more frunts, veggies, and grains.
20 October 2009
at 9:16 p.m.

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Seamus (Anonymous) says…

We've known these things, parrothead, yet we don't act on it. We're feeding crap to our kids and we're all complicit in that. Jamie Oliver put it best when he said we're a nation that can put a man on the moon but are unable to feed our children quality foods. As far as being a curmudgeon, I prefer that over willfully living life with my head in the sand.
20 October 2009
at 9:25 p.m.

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deskboy04 (Anonymous) says…

How much does the food service director make?
20 October 2009
at 9:30 p.m.

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gccs14r (Anonymous) says…

Whose head was in the sand? We're just having some fun with a headline. If it hadn't been for the typo, there would have been maybe two comments, because the story is otherwise a Duh.
20 October 2009
at 10:01 p.m.

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BMI (Anonymous) says…

@deskboy.
Probably enough to pay for the gas to drive over to Seamus' house and take over some left over fruit salad delight. The kind with the soggy half squished banana slices and sour grapefruit the runs all around your tray into the mystery fish sticks that are so soft they break into mush when you try to pick them up. Yumm! :)
20 October 2009
at 10:04 p.m.

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Sulla (Anonymous) says…

let them eat paste on a doll for lunch, a stack of pancreas for breakfast
20 October 2009
at 10:05 p.m.

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gccs14r (Anonymous) says…

“The kind with the soggy half squished banana slices and sour grapefruit the runs all around your tray into the mystery fish sticks that are so soft they break into mush when you try to pick them up.”

*Hurk* Thanks for the memories.

20 October 2009
at 10:48 p.m.

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overthemoon (Anonymous) says…

a study was required? we know that fresh foods are better than those whose main ingredients are unpronounceable. and I'll be those test scores would improve, as well as classroom discipline issues, if kids 6th grade and below got a recess like we used to get. its just as important to have a break, get some fresh air, and experience the reality of school yard socialization. all of this is basic, and yet we seem to move farther and farther from simple truths in favor of teacher planning time and test prep.
21 October 2009
at 3:50 a.m.

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merrill (Anonymous) says…

I'm not ready to say children do not like healthy foods. Our children grew up from day one seeing healthy foods around 24/7. To this day they still do a good job. When we go out more often than not they want a salad whether it's included with the meal or not.

When the Art Center hosts a “cast party” the majority of children consistently go for the fruit and veggie platters,cheese and other heathy choices. No one makes them. In fact desserts and chips usually are not the favorite choices. Have I been pleasantly surprised? Absolutely.
21 October 2009
at 6:42 a.m.

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devobrun (Anonymous) says…

“Today, overweight children outnumber undernourished children and childhood obesity is often referred to as an epidemic in both the medical and community settings,”

My father used to come home from school and down rye bread with goose fat spread on like butter. I used to eat all kinds of crap too. We weren't fat because then we went outside and played.

Outside and played. Played hard. Worked. Physical labor and fun. Ran, walked. Swung a bat. Kicked a ball. Rode a bike. Threw stones. climbed walls.

Today kids don't do those things much. They get fat. Dieting is for lazy folks.
Get up early. Work all day. No, I mean work. Most jobs today aren't work, they are defined as putting up with other people who are fatties. Today work is just a pain in the rear. It isn't physical. So there are a lot of fatties.

Don't sweat the food Mr Doll. You should worry about the soft kids that are laying around playing video games.
21 October 2009
at 7:54 a.m.

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jayhawkerjoel (Anonymous) says…

OMG - whatever will I do???? My kids can't get good food at school??!?!
Do you suppose I would get in trouble with the nanny-state master if I sent healthy food to school with my kids? Am I allowed to do that??? Would that be fair to the other less fortunate children???
21 October 2009
at 8:08 a.m.

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GardenMomma (Anonymous) says…

How about this: time enough to actually eat the food?

My kids take their lunches everyday and I make sure I pack them good food - a protein, whole wheat bread, fruit, and a dairy, and occasionally a treat (well, okay more often than occasionally but less often than every other day).

I agree that recess could be longer and lunch times should be longer than the 25 minutes they get to eat AND have recess. The teachers barely have time to eat a lunch of their own because they are supervising the kids as well.

How much can you eat if you've got 15 minutes to eat because everyone else (i.e. all your friends) are running out for recess? Seriously, try to eat a sandwich, an apple, some carrot sticks, and a glass of milk in 15 minutes. It's a rush-rush-rush feeling.

I'd like to know how long Superintendent Rick Doll spent eating his “roast beef sandwich, smattering of vegetables, fruits and a salad” the day he went to one of the schools and did he eat it in the cafeteria with the students or in the teachers lounge?
21 October 2009
at 8:49 a.m.

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tanaumaga (Anonymous) says…

garden momma, your kids are trading there lunch for cookies.
21 October 2009
at 9:37 a.m.

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honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…

duh.
21 October 2009
at 9:44 a.m.

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puzzler (Anonymous) says…

I know the budget cuts at all of the area schools resulted in Food Service cuts. There is less money for paying staff and for food. You can't expect fresh produce every day for what they have to spend.

At my school there are at least two fruit/veggie servings offered with every lunch. Whether or not the kids eat them is out of the District's control.

21 October 2009
at 9:45 a.m.

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dudedog12 (Anonymous) says…

More fruits / veggies and work in stead of watching tv and playing nentendo in their spare time. It's all in the rearing. How about mowing the yard or cleaning the house… or getting a job.
21 October 2009
at 10:21 a.m.

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honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…

you can't eat a banana or a bowl of grapes while you're playing super smash brothers??….
21 October 2009
at 10:22 a.m.

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honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…

i've told my 11 year old he needs a job. he needs to pull his weight by golly.
21 October 2009
at 10:27 a.m.

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dudedog12 (Anonymous) says…

honeychild. you're the adult, get rid of smash brothers, gettem a hoe or weed whip, make him pull his weight, your almost there, you have the right idea.
21 October 2009
at 10:36 a.m.

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honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…

we don't have much of a yard but i get your point.
21 October 2009
at 10:46 a.m.

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Satirical (Anonymous) says…

dudedog12…
“How about mowing the yard or cleaning the house… or getting a job.”

I tell my 4 year old daughter this all the time, but she always comes up with some convenient excuse, like “I can't drive.” Everyone has to work to survive, but for some reason she thinks she is exempt, and I am just suppose to give her food and buy her clothes. Crazy, right?
21 October 2009
at 10:47 a.m.

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dudedog12 (Anonymous) says…

come on out to the farm, i have some barns i need cleaned out.
21 October 2009
at 11:09 a.m.

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honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…

^^^ i just bet you do.

21 October 2009
at 2:22 p.m.

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mr_right_wing (Anonymous) says…

Baked/broiled french 'fries' with no salt! Kids will definitely eat that!

Now before you show your ignorance and say “but french fries have little to no nutritive value!” You have no idea what your talking about…any kind of potato is HIGH in potassium. I should know—I have to restrict my intake of potassium and I really really miss fries!! (…and baked potatoes and chips…..)
21 October 2009
at 2:47 p.m.

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honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…

nutritive. is that a word?

i agree w/ you, right wing. if you have to bake and boil everything its REALLY gonna lose any value to the kids because the little tykes won't eat it in the first place! doesn't mean you have to drench everything in saturday fat, salt and sugar but i mean, geesh— these children still have palates. i wouldn't want to eat that conspicuously “healthy” crap either. you have to be smarter than that and occasionally let the kids eat something that doesn't fall under the healthy umbrella (like french fries that are actually FRIED).
21 October 2009
at 2:48 p.m.

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honeychild (Mel Briscoe) says…

*saturated, not saturday fat. altho saturday fat can be quite tasty. :D
21 October 2009
at 3:07 p.m.

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merrill (Anonymous) says…

I say feed the children granola and/or whole grain cereals with fresh fruit for lunch everyday. I've read that cereal twice a day not only provides plenty of energy but helps control weight. If children are not getting enough exercise they don't need heavy fat foods.

Let parents take care of the rest at supper.
23 October 2009
at 5:37 p.m.

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mytwocents (Anonymous) says…

The lunch lady at Central Jr. High died of a heart attack in her fifties. She ate the school lunch every day. Whatever could be wrong with french fries, creamed corn, and ketchup being counted as a vegetable?