School Lunch Programs

I had the opportunity to set on a year long board to talk about the school lunch programs and edible schoolyards that was supported by the Eagle Creek Foundation. The finally of the discussions was an appearance by Alice Waters to speak at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. It was truly disturbing to listen to teachers and school nutritionists talk about how the kids eat in the schools. I think one of the worst parts is; that they did not always believe it was bad.
Kids are lined up and walk into a cafeteria single file without talking. They are not allowed to talk while they eat... This sounds like a concentration camp, not a school in the US.
Then there is the food. Most schools don't have kitchens at this point. All the food comes from a central commissary where the "food" is prepared hours before lunch. Shipped to the school where the food is "dispensed". Forget using any fresh fruits or vegetables as the kitchens will not even have a cutting board or knife to prep them.
Good thing is that there are some schools that have made efforts to look at local fresh foods and even planting edible schoolyards. It has made dramatic improvements in the health of the children in the schools as well as the neighborhoods. The picture above is taken at in edible schoolyard in an impoverished area of Muncie. The garden was planted on an abandoned lot in an area where half the houses were abandoned and no one cared about the neighborhood. The kids picked up litter as they walked to the garden. Soon the parents started picking up litter when they were out. It became contagious and soon neighbors were mowing lawns of abandoned houses and taking more care of their houses. It was dramatic to see what could happen in one year.

Check out this Op-Ed piece that was in the New York Times, co-authored by Alice Waters:
Op-Ed Contributors
No Lunch Left Behind
By ALICE WATERS and KATRINA HERON
Published: February 20, 2009
The National School Lunch Program, costing around $9 billion a year, has turned out to be a poor investment. It should be redesigned to make our children healthier.
View the full piece