A new report just might change what ends up on your child's lunch tray. As a dietitian, I'm thrilled that the Institute of Medicine just issued an extensive report recommending that schools load lunch lines with a variety of fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains.
Right now, most lunch lines are full of processed meats and cheese products, and more than 80 percent of schools serve too much high-fat food to comply with federal guidelines. But this new report really could turn the tables in cafeterias. It recommends cutting down processed meats, and it joins the American Public Health Association and the American Medical Association in calling for vegetarian school meal options.
We need to ask Congress to revise the Child Nutrition Act to help all schools make these healthy changes in their cafeterias. Sign the petition today at www.HealthySchoolLunches.org.
- Kathryn Strong is staff dietitian with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, D.C.
Right now, most lunch lines are full of processed meats and cheese products, and more than 80 percent of schools serve too much high-fat food to comply with federal guidelines. But this new report really could turn the tables in cafeterias. It recommends cutting down processed meats, and it joins the American Public Health Association and the American Medical Association in calling for vegetarian school meal options.
We need to ask Congress to revise the Child Nutrition Act to help all schools make these healthy changes in their cafeterias. Sign the petition today at www.HealthySchoolLunches.org.
- Kathryn Strong is staff dietitian with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Washington, D.C.
