Food Advisory Committee

School lunches. They are convenient for busy families. But what about nutrition? From rumors of the United States Department of Agriculture purchasing 7 million pounds of ammonia-treated meat--referred to by many as "pink slime"--for school lunches, to a teacher buying school lunch for an entire year and blogging about it, the quality and nutritional value of meals offered in America's schools is a hot topic.

Several years ago, our school district implemented a health and wellness policy that "promotes healthy schools by supporting wellness, good nutrition, and regular physical activity as part of the total learning environment." In addition to providing an environment where students develop and practice lifelong wellness behaviors, this policy encourages all foods available on school grounds and at school-sponsored activities to meet or exceed district nutrition standards. The policy also looks to provide more opportunities for physical activity.

A little over a month ago, while browsing the district's website, I saw a notice about a Food Advisory Committee being formed with the goal of bringing together parents and administrators to improve our district's offerings. I was eager to participate for a few reasons.

1) It's important to be involved in my children's education. Not only because it helps me to understand  more of the process--my perception versus the operational realities of the district--but also because showing my girls the joy and need for volunteering is a priority.

2) I've eaten some of the school lunches and wondered how kids eat them. There is one meal that sticks out in my mind--pasta. A few years ago, the district went to whole grain pasta. We eat it at home, so I figured it would taste the same. Not even close. A lukewarm, sticky glob of pasta is not what I want to eat. The Lil' Princess likes French toast sticks, but they taste nasty to me. Why? Is it just my personal taste that's the issue? Is preparation the challenge? Are there simply too many students to service in each school at lunch time and not enough people running the kitchen to prepare meals?

3) I couldn't reconcile how the district had a health and wellness policy in place, yet, still offered mini-pancakes, French toast sticks, stuffed crust pizza, hamburgers, and hot dogs on their menus. Especially when it has grown stricter about classroom snacks for parties and birthday events.

4) Meeting with like-minded individuals helps alleviate the feelings of isolation I experience working from home.

After the first meeting this week, not only do I already have a better understanding of how Food Services must balance menu offerings between required nutritional guidelines and providing meals children want to eat, it confirmed to me that the administrators of this department are dedicated to providing the healthiest meals for my children while at school.

This is a simplistic overview. There are so many other aspects to what the Food Advisory Committee and the Food Services Department must consider as we move forward. I'm excited to be part of such a dynamic group.