How to Get Organics and Healthier Foods into the Schools

March 4th, 2008

On Friday I had my first look at the public school my son will attend. While waiting for the open house to begin, I picked up a lunch menu. What I saw shocked me.

Pizza twice in one week? A choice of a hot dog or pizza? And needless to say, no organic milk. And this in a school district that prides itself on its “healthy choices.” McDonald’s is healthier…at least they sell salads and vegetables that are not fried!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhG4jugEad0[/youtube]

If the schools were able to figure out how to get soda pop and candy and commercial advertising and TV into the schools, how come they’re having such a hard time figuring out how to get even a smattering of organics and healthier options into the schools?

This is part one of a series of posts about getting healthier foods in the schools. Please check back Friday for the second post in this series! In the meantime, please leave a comment and share your experiences with school lunches.

— Lynn

Copyright 2008 OrganicMania


4 Responses to “How to Get Organics and Healthier Foods into the Schools”

  1. MamaBird on March 4, 2008 1:00 pm

    I am SO GLAD you are writing about this! My child goes to a DC public school. Michelle Rhee just announced that the school district will be outsourcing food production. I am hoping that change is a good thing. When I worked as a teacher in Berkeley during grad school, their district had adopted a partnership with Chez Panisse. MLK Middle School had a Peace Garden and the kids helped grow, cook, and compost their own food. There are lots of good programs around the country that could serve as models for our local schools (much in need of improvement).

    That Berkeley model is amazing! Thanks for sharing this. I’d love to hear more. Guest post, maybe? — Lynn

  2. matt on March 5, 2008 5:29 pm

    Great post – our boys (twins) are years away from this. My hope is that we’ll be able to see improvements in food choices by this time! That said, I should start ringing the bell for better food programs, better yet if we can tie them in to a small garden and/or local produce inclusion. Thanks again for the clip – can’t wait for the 2nd part.

    Thanks so much, Matt, for stopping by! — Lynn

  3. Organic and Green Mom Blog | Remembering the Edible Schoolyard at Organic Mania on December 21, 2008 9:56 am

    […] week OrganicMania published a series of posts about “How to Get Organics and Healthier Foods into the Schools.” A comment from MamaBird led to today’s guest post, where she writes about her time teaching at […]

  4. Organic and Green Mom Blog | Mandated Waste: Simple Questions about School Lunch Reform at Organic Mania on September 16, 2009 12:08 pm

    […] blogged many times about issues with the school lunch program.  From this first post expressing shock at elementary school lunch entrée choices of  pizza or hot dog,  to this post […]

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