Right after I extolled the virtues of the month of August, reality set in. Yes, it’s true as we move into the second part of the month and approach Labor Day, we need to focus on some unresolved issues from the past year, especially the past school year. With many school systems ready to open the floodgates to youngsters who still want to spend their days at the pool, it’s time to revisit the big unfinished business from last year.
Not everyone has been on summer break as one of the champions of the need to make changes to school lunches has been vocal and focused on the topic all summer. That’s First Lady Michelle Obama who ended the school year with a chef-focused White House event and continued to focus her message on the importance of eating healthy. Many food industry leaders went back to their own kitchens and communities and rounded up the necessary funds and personnel to impact either a single school or work directly with a selected school system. Many such programs are in place and set for the new school year.
Also in the good news department is the recent Senate passage of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Bill which may or may not survive House debate. With added funds over 10 years, schools will be able to improve the school cafeteria situation and have better control over food safety issues.
Now let me talk about faint praise as the large dollar infusion, $4.5 billion over 10 years roughly translates to 6, yes, 6, additional cents per lunch preparation. Ludicrous, I say. Schools are operating on limited funding in the first place and now we are giving them additional guidelines to follow and increasing the individual spending by only 6 cents! Did I mention that food costs are already going up and that should continue as the weather of extreme heat and drought have played a rough card for growers. Six cents!
Schools that are without the appropriate funds and communities without the ability to implement changes need parental and restaurant involvement to insure change and secure the health and well-being of our students. We can no longer just nod at the school food programs and say they need to be changed. Instead we as individuals need to get involved and make districts hear that they cannot feed youngsters a double helping of pizza daily. The obesity problem does not always start at home. School lunch programs especially for individuals who receive breakfast and lunch assistance need to recognize that good eating can additionally be taught in the school cafeteria.
As for individual lunches that parents pack, it takes just a few extra minutes to cut up the celery and carrots or add an apple to the box. Skip the chocolate milk and go for the mini reusable water container. If it’s a sandwich consider bread with fiber and if the youngster needs gluten-free, G-F food, make certain that everyone has a clear understanding of the dangers of contamination and cross-contamination.
Businesses are getting involved, too. Whole Foods has an initiative, The Great American Salad Bar Project, to get more salad bars in schools. The donation-based program is an easy way for everyone to participate in creating a better lunch program with healthier, fresher foods. 
All these strategies together may solve one of the heaviest weights on future generations. Start the school year right and save a life.
Bites.
If ours is a fusion food world, then we need to know which foods are best for those who want to taste specialty dishes when they travel or in their home environs. Not everyone needs a gluten-free lifestyle, but more attention is being focused on simpler diets and fewer grains. Besides resorting to the caveman approach, there are options for the adventuresome.
