School Lunches Don’t Skimp on Fruits and Vegetables
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XiXinXing/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — As much as kids resist eating healthy, most can’t say that their schools aren’t giving them the opportunity to do so.
A national survey from the School Nutrition Association finds that 63 percent of the 1,110 school districts polled offer students salad or produce bars and close to seven in ten cafeterias feature pre-packaged salads.
There’s also an emphasis on serving locally sourced fruits and vegetables with 52 percent of school districts making these foods available to youngsters.
Of course, the downside to all this is that participation in school lunches has now dropped to 64 percent from 68 percent in 2011, or the equivalent of one million students.
As a result, school districts are making a more concerted effort to get kids to try healthier foods with 55 percent offering nutrition education in the classroom. Almost two-thirds of districts add that student taste testing of new menu items is also attempted.
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