| Everyone knows that school children these days are | | | | the nutritional benefits are far less and some give very |
| suffering from obesity. We are all aware of our | | | | little more than fat filled calories. School lunches have |
| children's needs for better lunches and improved | | | | improved somewhat but the PCRM is attempting to |
| nutrition in order to lose the weight they need to lose in | | | | encourage even greater changes in order to stop the |
| many cases. | | | | flow of disease and early onset obesity, high blood |
| We are certain that those processed luncheon meats | | | | pressure and juvenile diabetes. Diseases of a chronic |
| and the fatty things they are getting in school probably | | | | nature have become more and more common in |
| aren't the best thing for them. Finding ways to get | | | | youth. |
| locally grown foods in schools can be tough to | | | | The National School Lunch Program is outmoded and |
| accomplish. | | | | outdated. More than sixty years ago when it was |
| Actually, it is possible that the economic downturn may | | | | begun it offered the schools both subsidies and USDA |
| change the way in which many schools are doing | | | | foods. The foods that they use were necessarily high |
| business with regard to locally grown foods. The | | | | in fat and actual fruits make up far less than ten |
| schools now have a little less to spend on the the | | | | percent of the foods that students eat but the price |
| foods they are using, while farmers are finding it hard | | | | remains outstanding. |
| to get their crops to markets that are a long distance | | | | In using locally grown foods and changing the way the |
| away. Getting the school lunch systems in public | | | | National School Lunch Program works children could |
| schools connected to those farmers who need to sell | | | | be afforded lower cost meals, as well as foods, which |
| their products is a great way to help them both. The | | | | were actually good for them rather than processed |
| schools save on lunches and the farmers gain buyers | | | | foods such as hot dogs and chicken nuggets. |
| who are close by. The health of the students improves | | | | Change is slow but it is coming. Fortunately, given the |
| vastly by the purchase of locally grown foods that are | | | | economic problems, many schools are seeking less |
| fresh and more nutritious. | | | | expensive means to feed their students and some |
| In 2008, the School Lunch Report card that was | | | | cafeterias are actually returning to the old means of |
| written by the PCRM or the Physicians Committee for | | | | making lunches from scratch. Those schools, which |
| Responsible Medicine said that the foods, which are | | | | are experimenting with fresh vegetables and better |
| being served in nearly every school in America, are far | | | | foods, are finding that the students are overall healthier |
| too high in cholesterol as well as saturated fats. They | | | | and that some are actually beginning to like the |
| also said that they are too low in the nutrients that | | | | vegetables that they previously neglected. Locally |
| fresh foods could give to the students. In many cases | | | | grown foods are having an impact on those schools |
| fast food type foods were being served. | | | | they are being tried it. Maybe it's time to make locally |
| Not only is the cost of these fast foods far more, but | | | | grown foods part of every schools routine. |