The flexitarian prescription

There’s been a number of news stories this week about Secretary Kennedy and his views on the “state of school lunches.” And whether you’re a fan or not, whether you’re a democrat or a republican or fall somewhere in between, one thing’s for certain—there is absolutely no way you can’t be concerned about the health status of American’s youth, and nutrition is a big part of the equation … hence, school lunches.

But if I can cry “wolf” for one second, let me just say I am appalled by folks who seem to think this is a new issue. Like how in the hell can anyone be shocked by this “revolution” that one, a lot of American children are out of shape (dare I say fat) and don’t eat right; and two, our school lunches suck.

2010: Programs like the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) were established to promote good eating habits early in life and to fight our nation’s childhood obesity problem.

According to the American Heart Association, between 1971 and 2011 childhood obesity prevalence tripled.

2012: Established by the USDA, and signed into effect by President Truman, the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program (NSLP) program went through a major facelift, including many substantive changes.

2015: The School Nutrition Association in conjunction with the School Superintendents Association penned a letter to Congress stating “school districts do not receive the full reimbursement from the USDA for the increased costs associated with the new meal standards.”

A study by the Harvard School of Public Health estimates since the induction of the HHFKA, roughly 56 percent more food is being thrown away. And some blame the new requirements for creating what they call unpalatable lunches.

2017: Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue signed a proclamation to do away with the “healthy federal school lunch standards set in place by the Obama administration.”

So, who’s to blame? Politicians? School administrators? Parents? Corporations and their “unhealthy” marketing? You? Me? Them? The answer is all of us. Yes. All of us. Which leads me ask the same questions that we posed in the 2017 article I coauthored and edited on America’s school lunch tray:

• Should the federal government define school lunches?
• Should schools take more responsibility in teaching our youth how to eat properly?
• Should school meals adhere to strict nutritional guidelines?
  • And what are those guidelines?

The questions are endless, but bottom line, while well-meaning parents, educators, nutritionists and even politicians can and do fall on both sides of the school lunch debate, we all need to come together and ultimately decide what’s best for our children is good, healthy food, and somehow, someway we need to make sure they’re getting it. And I for one, am on the Secretary’s side when it comes to an “overhaul” of school lunches.

The American school lunch tray and what’s being done to improve its taste and nutrition.

2018 Eddy Award Finalist for Best Social Issue Story

Read the article in its entirety: The State of School Lunches