Green Cafeteria Food
Sunday, March 9th, 2008
(Green School Lunches - Part 1)
by Liesl Bradner
Green cafeteria food - in the past this usually meant mystery meat surprise was on the menu. But no jokes about it - school cafeterias need to be greener in the organic, healthy and preservative-free way.
Despite the push of recent school-nutrition legislation such as “The Farm Ranch Equity Stewardship and Health Fresh Act of 2007,” which aims to make healthy, local foods available for children, nine out of 10 U.S. schools “a la carte programs” do not meet the U.S. government’s nutritional recommendations, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Busy parents are left high and dry and forced to have their children choose between low-grade, processed or sugar-laden junk food at school. Typical menu items offered to students consist of high-fat foods like pizza, fries, hot dogs, cheeseburgers, macaroni and cheese, and chicken nuggets. Not only are they not very appetizing but are made with highly processed, unpronounceable ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and artificial sweeteners. (more…)