Healthy School Lunches
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011Background
One out of three children is obese in the usa. The factors adding to this epidemic vary, but poor nutrition and declining amounts of physical activity are generally cited. Schools are slow to join fighting against childhood obesity, and also the National School Lunch Program continues to serve the same unhealthy dishes from previous decades: full of calories and low on nutritional content.
Initiatives
Change has had the type of initiatives using the goal of bringing more affordable and nutritious choices to students across the country. The Re-authorization from the Child Nutrition Act passed in the Senate but continues to be delayed in the home of Representatives until a choice is created by December 3, 2010.
So while Congress got its recess, kids across America take theirs too. However when U.S. students take recess they’re needing to burn off the high-calorie unhealthy foods sold in vending machines and low-nutrition school lunches served in the cafeteria.
Another initiative underway to combat the epidemic of obesity is Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution.
Jamie Oliver, a renowned culinary expert from Essex, England became famous through several television series such as: The Naked Chef, Jamie’s Kitchen, Jamie’s School Dinners, Jamie’s Chef, Jamie in your own home, and Jamie’s Secretary of state for Food.
His newest show, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, focuses on educating families about food and nutrition in order to reverse the rate of childhood obesity. The series begins by concentrating on Huntington, West Virginia, which has been referenced to because the Unhealthiest City in America, and educates 1st graders on basic nutrition. Throughout his three-month example of the city, Jamie is met through the obstacles of naysayers and stubborn parents unwilling to create healthy decisions for his or her families. Jamie succeeds in making the public aware of the poor state of school lunches and nationwide eating habits in Food Revolution, but his mission only has begun.
National School Lunch Program
The National School Lunch Program has systems in place to help over 101,000 schools with free or low price meals to lower-income students. Schools are required to match 30% of federal funds in the program, in line with the funding they received in 1980. These matched funds have to be applied for through each state. Due to this, state contributions towards the program are much smaller than the 30% requirement which leads to budget shortfalls and underfunded lunch programs.
Approximately 95% of schools take part in this program, as well as the meals presented to students in 2009: 52% were totally free & 10% were reduced. This still leaves 38% of lower-income students necessary to pay the full price for school lunches and breakfasts.
The nutritional standards from the National School Lunch Program are only met by 30% of schools that participate.
The combination of state budget shortfalls and lack of nutritional oversight by schools is responsible for deep concern, and is among the items addressed in the un-passed Re-authorization of the Child Nutrition Act. Schools have trouble providing affordable lunch and breakfast for their students, as well as providing enough man-power for everyone the scholars.
Private Sector Innovations
The private sector has begun to build up numerous products to deal with this issue that many schools face. Some companies allow us the solution of having “Automated Hot Food Machines”. These machines are vending machines customized to dispense hot food by using an internal microwave to warm up packaged refrigerated meals because they are purchased by each student. Students have the ability to vend meals with their student identification card on some models.