Healthy Schools Act Saved

D.C. will continue serving fresh local produce

Word came yesterday that the D.C. Council had spared the Healthy Schools Act from the budget axe.

While a number of social programs weren't so lucky, D.C. Council Chairman and Mayor-elect Vincent Gray chose not to follow the suggestion of outgoing Mayor Adrian Fenty and use some $4.7 million intended for better school meals to help close a $188 million budget gap.

The money funds an extra 10 cents for breakfast meals, 10 cents for lunches and five cents for every lunch that contains a locally grown product. It also picks up the lunch tab for kids who otherwise are eligible only for reduced-price meals.

Along with the many menu improvements instituted by the D.C. Public Schools' new food services director, Jeffrey Mills, the Healthy Schools Act has helped make a noticeable improvment to kids' cafeteria trays this year.

An aide to D.C. Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) said an outpouring of support for the law helped save the day.

What's in This Burger?

By Ed Bruske
aka The Slow Cook

Under the "Healthy Schools Act" passed by the D.C. Council earlier this year food service must post the ingredients "for each menu item" in a place where the public can see them.

When I asked a spokeswoman for the schools on Tuesday where I could find this information, she sent me a link [PDF]that took me to a site that lists nutritional information for some menu options, but no ingredients. I asked again about the ingredients, and am waiting to hear back.

D.C. schools are also supposed to tell where produce served in the meals originates, and that information is available on the link provided above.

As you can see from this photo, some things never change. The burger and bun are still highly processed, manufactured in distant factories and shipped to schools frozen to be re-heated. Ditto for the potatoes. Even though this tray looks a bit dreary, however, the sliced cucumbers and tomatoes are something new and fresh, as is the cantaloupe from Arnold Farms in Chestertown, Md. It arrived whole at my daughters school and one of the cooks removed the rind and seeds and cut it into these bite-size pieces. It doesn't get much fresher or more local than that. (And the fact that it's local entitles the school meal program to a five-cent bonus from the city.)

Another thoughtful touch is this "homemade" dressing. Chartwells bills it as a "Greek herb mayo." That translates as mayonnaise with some dried oregano and vinegar stirred in by our own school kitchen. That's quite a departure from the prepared Kraft dressings previously served with mile-long ingredient lists of preservatives and industrial additives.

In case you were wondering, the "whole grain" hamburger bun comes from Bake Crafters Food Company in Collegedale, Tenn. The ingredients listed on the shipping package are these:

"Water, whole wheat flour, unbleached unbromated enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folice acid), sugar, wheat gluten, contains 2% or less of: yeast, salt, soybean oil, hydrated monoglycerides, wheat lactylate (CSL), calcium propionate (for freshness), calcium stearoyl, ammonium sulfate, enzymes, ascorbic acid (dough conditioner), azodicarbidamide (ADA), L-cysteine hydrochloride, calcium peroxide."

The "fully cooked char-broiled hamburger patty" comes from Don Lee Farms in Inglewood Calif. It lists the ingredients as these:

"Ground beef (not more than 20% fat), seasoning (salt, hydrolyzed soy protein (caramel color), dehydrated onion and garlic, maltodextrin, spice, sugar, torula yeast, autolyzed yeast extract, disodium inosinate, natural flavoring)." It may contain soy, and contains "commodities donated by the United States Deparment of Agriculture."

Cooking instructions are 12-15 minutes from the frozen state in a 350-degree convection oven.

Now, try to imagine listings like this for every menu item the schools serve for the entire year.

Say Goodbye to This Food

By Ed Bruske
aka The Slow Cook

Yesterday the D.C. Farm to School network was celebrating hopes for better school food in the future by placing strawberries and salad in more than 150 schools in the District of Columbia. Meanwhile, the kids and faculty at my daughter's elementary school were celebrating May Day (delayed because of the heat!) with food that's on its way out.

Pictured above you see the menu for the all-day celebration, including sodas, chips, snow cones, cotton candy and candy. The kids bought tickets for the food, then were free to roam around and buy what they wanted.

Under recently passed "Healthy Schools" legislation, most of that food would be banned, unless it's provided by parents or sold during official "after school" events. I have mixed feelings. The kids were having such a good time yesterday. But should schools be promoting this kind of junk food?

The question answers itself. The world has changed.

P.S. What are fruit smacks?

What Parents Believe About School Food

The following list of guiding principles of Parents for Better D.C. School Food represents the fondest wishes of its members. We are neither a scientific panel, nor a legislative body, but rather adults concerned about the welfare of all children in the District of Columbia, and especially about foods they eat and the role of school food services in children's health and well-being.

Please write your D.C. council members and urge them to pass the "Healthy Schools Act." Include a link to this post.

We believe that all children are entitled to be served healthful, nutritious meals while attending public school.

We believe that processed school foods should be replaced with foods made from whole, unprocessed ingredients, preferably from local, sustainable sources.

We believe school meals should be made from scratch whenever possible.

We believe that added sugars should be avoided.

We believe children should not be exposed to high-fructose corn syrup.

We believe children should not be served trans-fats or hydrogenated oils.

We believe that Omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, such as those from corn, soybean and cottonseed oil, should be largely replaced with healthful mono-unsaturated fats, such as those from olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil and avocado, and that children should consume more Omega-3 fats.

We believe that calories in school breakfasts should be derived primarily from healthy fats and proteins--including milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy--and fresh fruit, and only secondarily from starchy carbohydrates.

We believe that cereals should contain no more than 4 grams of sugar per ¾-cup--or 1-ounce-- serving, whichever is less.

We believe that children should have more vegetarian options, and that school meals should be meatless at least one day each week.

We believe that grain products served in schools should be primarily whole grain.

We believe that school cafeterias should be equipped with salad bars offering an array of fresh greens, vegetables, proteins and freshly-made dressings.

We believe that packaged foods should be replaced with unpackaged foods.

We believe that flavored milks should be served only occasionally, if at all.

We believe that all school milk should be free of antibiotics and non-therapeutic hormones.

We believe fruit juices should be served only occasionally, and should otherwise be replaced with whole fruits.

We believe children should be encouraged to drink water with their meals.

We believe students should have a minimum 30 minutes in which to eat their meals.

We believe ingredients for all foods served in D.C. schools should be posted on the internet and in other places where they can be easily accessed by the public.

We believe that school cafeterias should be open environments where parents can join their children and encourage healthful eating habits.

More "Healthy Schools" Testimony: Jody Tick

By Jody Tick

My name is Jody Tick and I am testifying today in my professional capacity as a Capital Area Food Bank program director and personally as a concerned Ward 6 resident and parent of Bennet, a five-year-old who attends Maury Elementary School.

The Capital Area Food Bank is the largest, nonprofit hunger and nutrition education resource in the Washington Metropolitan area. We partner with over 700 non-profit organizations to distribute food to those who suffer from hunger; and educate, empower and enlighten the community about the issues of hunger and nutrition. As the CAFB’s Harvest for Health Program Director, my objective is to increase access to healthy food, specifically fresh produce, to low-income individuals and underserved communities in the District and throughout the metropolitan area. The disparities that exist across the District’s eight Wards are stunning, especially in regards to the accessibility of affordable, healthy food options. Wards 2 & 3 have access to approximately four times more major chain supermarkets than Wards 7 & 8, which have three major chain supermarkets for a 140,000 residents.

My background in nutrition has made me acutely aware of the role good nutrition plays in the cognitive, physical, and behavioral development of a child and how not only food, but healthy food is critical for youth to realize their full potential as productive individuals and community members. But the experience of the food bank’s 30 years has demonstrated that access must be in tandem with education. It’s not enough to provide healthy food without an educational context of why and how nutritious food is essential to long term health and well being.

Currently, 1 in 2 children in the District of Columbia is at risk of hunger. With over 70% of the public school and public charter school students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch and students consuming approximately 1/3 of their daily calories at school, the Healthy Schools Bill has the potential to positively impact the health and wellbeing of District youth on an unprecedented level. Specifically, this bill has the opportunity to serve as model legislation, but needs to consider the following:

Nutritional Standards: access to breakfast for more students and eliminating copays for reduced price lunch is essential, but not sufficient. School meals must have the highest nutritional standards and healthy food must have an educational component that is integrated into the school curriculum. The USDA HealthierUS School Challenge program is an · improvement on the status quo, but the Institute of Medicine (IOM) nutritional standards are what we should aspire to attain. Other school districts across the country, such as those in Chicago, are moving to implement the IOM Standards and the District should as well, even if it is progressively, over time. In addition, it is also important to consider that nutritional standards only matter if the food provided is consumed. School food must taste good and be appealing.

· Training and Technical Assistance: to successfully implement this legislation, training and support must be made available for schools, food service providers, administrators, etc. by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education in conjunction with non-profit partners. Training must be approached as a collaborative, partnership effort; not punitive.

· Accountability: accountability is key to realizing the full potential and intent of this legislation. For example, the most recent national survey that assesses nutrient content of school meals offered and served compared to USDA’s current regulatory standards found that while progress has been made, few schools (6 to 7 percent) offered or served NSLP lunches that met all of the School Meals Initiative for Healthy Children (SMI) standards, and there was a statistically significant decline in the percentage of schools meeting the vitamin A standard. This legislation must ensure that schools not only have the capacity and support to fully comply with any new nutritional standards, but are held accountable to achieving those standards. A government point person should be held responsible for the implementation of the School Nutrition (Title II) components of the bill and serve to coordinate efforts across government and between schools and the non-profit sector.

The Capital Area Food Bank is doing its part to ensure healthy local communities. Through the development of a new strategic vision, the food bank will strive to increase the amount of food we distribute from 25 million pounds to 30 million pounds with half of the 30 million in fresh produce. The Capital Area Food Bank also collaborates with and supports the DC Farm to School Network as another access vehicle to provide healthy, local foods to the community. As a mother, I work hard to make sure my kids have nutritionally sound meals and that they understand how fruits and vegetables help them grow. Why should I expect anything less from the meals they eat at school? It’s time for the District to join organizations, parents, and the community and commit to ensure bright and healthy futures for all the District’s youth.

More "Healthy Schools" Testimony: Laura Hansen Marks

By Laura Hansen Marks

My name is Laura Hansen Marks. I am a resident of Ward 6 and have lived in the District for fourteen years. I am a parent of two young children, one toddler and one pre-Kindergarten student at School-Within-A-School at Peabody Elementary School on Capitol Hill. I am co-coordinator of the DC Farm to School Network’s Parents Committee as well as an active parent volunteer in Peabody’s school gardens.

I am delighted the Council is discussing this very important topic and offer my heartfelt thanks to Councilmember Cheh for her hard work and leadership on this issue. The Healthy Schools Act is an extraordinary opportunity for the District of Columbia to affirm its commitment to the health and wellbeing of its young people.

I am now in my second year as a DCPS parent and I am extremely supportive of these efforts to improve the quality of the food served in our schools, increase physical education requirements, and “green” our schools both inside and out. In a city with many thousands of children facing a future of obesity-related illness and premature death from unhealthy eating habits, inadequate exercise and a polluted environment, these changes are not window-dressing or peripheral. They are essential to our children’s health and are fundamental to the well being of an entire generation of Washingtonians.

Our schools and our children are in desperate need of these changes and I urge you to support this legislation. In a city where the vast majority of children qualify for free and reduced school meals, schools provide to many of these children their only hot meals each day. Instead of continuing to serve them cheap, highly refined, highly processed sugar-, fat-, salt-, and additive-laden foods trucked in from all over the country, I believe there is all the more burden on our schools to lead the way in teaching healthy eating. Fresh, local ingredients prepared with care into nutritious, appetizing meals should be every child’s right, not just those who can afford not to eat school food.

SUPPORT FOR FARM TO SCHOOL:

I believe the Farm to School Program contained in this Bill is of critical importance to making our schools healthier places. I strongly support the local food preference requiring schools to buy local, unprocessed foods when they are within ten percent of the conventional food costs. The additional five-cent per dollar reimbursement for these purchases is crucial to the success of this program, as is the construction of a centralized kitchen for coordinating purchase, storage, transport and processing of these foods.

I also strongly support dramatically increased transparency by school food service providers. Parents and kids alike deserve to know what ingredients are in which meals, where those foods come from, and clear, reliable disclosure of any common food allergens. This is literally life-saving information for children with severe food allergies.

SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL GARDENS AND GREEN SCHOOLS:

As an active parent volunteer in my son’s school garden, I have seen first-hand the multitude of benefits of a vibrant, inviting schoolyard garden. From teaching basic science and nutrition concepts, to providing an opportunity for exercise and a connection to the natural world, school gardens can be an invaluable means of fostering improved health. School gardens also strengthen the school community through heightened parental involvement, connect schools to their neighborhood communities through volunteer opportunities, and heighten children’s sense of ownership of the school grounds and their attachment to the garden site. School gardens also are an important venue for teaching basic ecology, conservation, and environmental stewardship. Additionally, many schoolyard gardens incorporate on-site stormwater management techniques such as rain barrels/cisterns, rain gardens and other bioretention features that offer additional lessons in understanding the hydrologic cycle, our local watersheds and how our actions impact the natural world around us.

CONCLUSION:

I again reiterate my strong support for the Healthy Schools Act. I extend my thanks to the Council for their consideration of this crucial issue and I know I join a great many DCPS parents in demanding healthier school food for our children, heightened transparency with regard to ingredients and sources, greener schools, increased physical education requirements, and a system-wide commitment to the importance of school gardens.

I firmly believe that access to healthy, nutritious, appetizing food at school should not be limited to those few children whose families can afford to pack their own. I believe it is a social justice issue of utmost importance to ensure that all children in DCPS are better for their time there, not drowned in sugar, fat, salt and preservatives and sent off to a future of chronic disease and premature death. They deserve better from us, and Councilmembers, I call on you to support, and fund, this Act. In the words of President Harry Truman when signing the National School Lunch Act into law in 1946, “No nation is healthier than its children.” Let your legacy be this dramatic step forward for the health of our schools, our children, and our environment. Thank you for your time and attention to this topic.

More "Healthy Schools" Testimony: Constance Newman

By Constance Newman

I would like to wholeheartedly express my support for the Healthy Schools Act of 2009. I am the parent of a prospective DC public school student and a research economist by profession. In my work, I conduct economic analysis on many aspects of the school meals programs on a national level. As a DC parent, the implementation of this bill would make me very happy to have my son attend a DC public school, as I believe it would significantly improve the ability of DC food service operations to provide quality meals. It could also—if implemented in the full spirit of the law—make DC a leader in the rapidly growing national movement to improve school foods.

I especially applaud the elements of the bill that: (1) promote the purchases by schools of locally produced, non-processed foods; (2) establish the school gardens program; (3) establish minimum time requirements for recess and for the consumption of school lunch; (4) restrict the marketing of foods to children at school; and (5) the collection of data on children’s BMI, waist-hip ratios and physical activity. This last element, which may be perceived as somewhat intrusive to students, is very important for evaluation purposes. I also commend the thought that has gone into the farm-to-school section. The specification of a local food preference when costs are favorable, the rebate tied to local, non-processed foods, the central kitchen, and the mandatory reporting are all important.

My main concern about what is missing from the bill is a specific restriction on the amount of sugar that can be present in the reimbursable meals. It is great that there is a restriction on the amount of sugar in foods that are not a part of reimbursable meals (Sec. 207 (a)), but there is ample evidence that children are getting way too much sugar in current reimbursable meals. And curiously, the federal nutrition requirements do not specify any restrictions on sugar, even though the Dietary Guidelines for America (2005), on which federal meal standards are based, did recommend reductions in added sugars. Even the higher nutrition standards provided in USDA’s Healthier US School Challenge do not include restrictions on sugar (or added sugar) in reimbursable meals. This is a glaring omission in the USDA standard that the DC Council can remedy as part of this bill. Common sense tells us that children should not have to have sugar added to normal food in order for them to want to eat it. The idea that children will only drink sugar-flavored milk is just wrong. At least with my son, the more sugar he gets accustomed to, the more he wants. We, the parents and schools, need to set reasonable limits. Dessert is one thing, and as in a family environment, what we should teach children is that they can have dessert after they eat a delicious locally-sourced, dark green, deep orange, whole grain, protein-rich, diverse lunch.

Specifically, I would like to see the same restriction on sugar that is specified for competitive foods in the Healthier US School Challenge be set for reimbursable lunches and breakfasts and added to the Healthy Schools Act of 2009 (Sec. 202. Nutritional standards for school meals). That restriction is:

Sugar: Total sugar must be under or equal to 35% sugar by weight (includes naturally occurring and added sugars). Excludes fruits, vegetables, and milk.

Thank you for accepting public comments. I look forward to seeing great improvements in the coming years in DC public school food.

Constance Newman is a D.C. parent and works on school meals as an economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

More "Healthy Schools" Testimony: Nancy Piho

By Nancy Piho

My interest in testifying in support of this bill stems from several positions: my twenty-year involvement in the food marketing industry, my authorship of the new book, “My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus: Raising Children Who Love to Eat Everything,” which focuses on the importance of teaching young children to appreciate the taste and flavor of various foods, and, most important, my role as a citizen of the District of Columbia and the mother of two young boys, ages five and two.

While there are many aspects of this bill that are important, I focus my testimony on five specific points that I believe are key components, as they are all currently under-recognized issues that could play a significant role in encouraging our children to eat more healthful diets. I think we all agree that that is an admirable goal.

First, the bill requires that 30 minutes be allotted each day for children to eat their lunch. While this may sound insignificant to some, or even like a waste of time, I found in the two years that I researched my book that experts are in complete agreement on this issue. Sitting down, focusing on eating and the food being consumed, is a critical step in teaching children to place value on their diets and what they eat. We are all most likely guilty of too much “eating on the run,” often with negative consequences to our health. This is an opportunity for schools to instill better habits in our kids.

Second, there is a financial incentive for schools to provide locally-sourced foods at school meals. While there are numerous environmental and nutrition reasons to support this, I add to the discussion another important factor to consider, and that is the issue of the TASTE of the foods involved. There is no question that foods that are subject to the shortest amount of time between harvest and consumption, and those that have to travel the fewest miles to the table, are fresher, and therefore superior in quality and flavor. Even young children can be taught to appreciate this difference.

Third, I support the fact that the bill introduces children to the concept of school gardens. Numerous studies, and many parents, including our First Lady Michelle Obama, will tell you that children who are personally vested in growing or cooking their foods are more receptive to eating them.

Fourth, the language in the bill defines “unprocessed” foods not only as those that contain no chemical additives, further processing or are in some way manufactured, but as those that are unnecessarily chopped, peeled, cut or in other ways altered from natural form. The inclusion of this detailed language in the bill is important in educating children about food, and even in preventing “Picky Eating.” Learning to appreciate the perfect flavor of unaltered food products – such as a whole apple, versus canned applesauce or packaged apple slices, and oranges versus orange juice – goes a long way towards teaching children that foods do not have to be “processed” to make them acceptable to the palate.

And finally, the bill establishes a requirement that any foods marketed through the schools, including those that supply materials to classrooms, must meet specific nutritional guidelines. I write extensively in my book about the blatant commercialization and rampant advertising of unhealthful food products that takes place in most public school systems across the country, with no regulation and often without parental knowledge or approval. I am proud to think that DC could be a leader in putting a stop to this.

My one concern about this bill, based on some knowledge of our bureaucratic ways, is that it may impose so many regulations that it will dictate that only large agri-businesses with adequate staffing to plow through red tape will be able to comply. I advise those who would be in charge of administering this bill to be cautious of this.

To those who question the cost and efforts needed to accommodate the provisions of this bill, I would say that this is simply a question of our priorities as citizens of this city. Are we content to just go along with the sub-par norms followed by school districts in many cities? Or do we want to be leaders in a movement to better educate our kids about the importance of the choices they make about what foods they eat? Do we want to create excellence and expectations in this area, which will then lead to excellence in other facets of our educational system? Don’t we all know that investing in quality products today will reap benefits down the road?

Our DC public schools can and should play an important role in not only in providing a nutritionally sound diet, but also in educating children about foods. For many of our children, school provides two of the three meals that they may eat in a day. Lessons learned and habits developed here are life long, and may have the further effect of influencing parents and other family members.

Nancy Piho is a D.C. parent and author of the book, My Two-Year-Old Eats Octopus: Raising Children Who Love to Eat Everything.

More "Healthy Schools" Testimony: Andrea Northup

By Andrea Northup

My name is Andrea Northup, and I coordinate the DC Farm to School Network - a broad-based
coalition working to get more healthy, local foods into Washington, DC schools, and to
reconnect schoolchildren with where their food comes from. I work closely with many of the
people this bill will directly impact - teachers, principals, food service directors, food producers,
parents and students. I am here to voice the D.C. Farm to School Network’s support for Farm to School in the Healthy Schools Act.

I am not the first to highlight some of the problems this bill is trying to address - Washington,
DC has the third highest child poverty rate and the ninth highest percentage of overweight and
obese children in the nation. A stunning 81% of D.C. children are reportedly NOT getting their
recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. And we all know that getting kids
to eat healthy is not just as easy as serving healthy foods on their plate.

Farm to school programs address these issues by connecting schools with local farms in order to
serve healthy foods in school meals and educate kids about where food comes from. The bottom
line is that when local foods are served in school cafeterias, and kids feel a connection to them,
they eat more servings of healthy foods like fruits and vegetables! It’s been proven in cafeterias
nationwide.

Why do kids eat more healthy foods when they’re a part of a farm to school program? Local
foods taste delicious because they are picked at the peak of their flavor and nutrient content.
Have you tasted a fresh, juicy, tomato picked in September? Compare that to it’s artificially-
ripened and well-traveled white mealy counterpart served in February. When kids feel a
connection with their food - be it by growing food in a school garden, visiting a farm, or cooking
with a chef - they are more likely to appreciate and eat that food.

Since farm to school programs increase fruit and vegetable consumption, they reduce the risk of
child childhood obesity and other diet-related diseases, and promote optimal physical health,
growth, and intellectual development, energy levels and mental alertness. Local foods are
typically grown with fewer harmful chemicals and hormones. Farm to school programs reduce
the miles that school food travels, thus reducing pollution and carbon footprints while at the
same time supporting our vibrant local food economy.

A new study out this month shows that in many cases, farm to school programs can make smart
financial sense for school food service operations once they are in place. Schools serve a higher
quality product that kids are excited to eat, and thus see increased satisfaction and participation
rates that draw down more federal reimbursements. Plus, seasonal foods can be cheaper, when
farmers have a surplus of certain foods that are priced to move. These programs benefit everyone--kids, food services, the environment and the community.

Schools across the country are finding creative ways to incorporate healthy, local, sustainable
foods into school meals - in fact, over 2,000 school districts in 43 states have farm to school
programs. Large, urban school districts are no exception - some of the most progressive include
Chicago, Denver, New York and St. Paul. And right next door, Baltimore City Public Schools
serve all-Maryland grown fresh fruits and vegetables year round - and they’ve seen their produce consumption rates jump and meal participation rates increase.

But Washington, DC is lagging behind the rest of the country. Let’s take a look at why this is so,
and how the Healthy Schools Act can help.

First, farm to school is not necessarily on the radar of schools and food service providers. They
have systems in place to buy foods from large wholesalers and retailers from all over the
country, and their curricula revolves solely around standardized testing scores. We strongly feel that the City Council must put pressure on schools and food service providers to buy healthy, local, sustainable foods whenever costs are within reasonable variation of conventional food costs.

There are a wide variety of foods available in the mid-Atlantic region from early spring to late
winter - apples, broccoli, carrots, beans, sweet corn, melon, onions, squash, peas, potatoes, pears, peaches - the list goes on! In season, these foods cost the same if not less than similar foods
from around the country - and they’re fresher and taste better. We need to get schools and
vendors to develop purchasing systems that take advantage of the local food economy around us, and the encouragement won’t cost a dime.

But encouragement is not enough - schools and food service providers NEED financial
incentives to serve healthy, local foods and get kids excited about where their food comes from.
The most recent data we have on the actual cost of school food is from the 2005/2006 school
year, which is that schools spend on average $1.09 per meal on food. That number comes from
subtracting all of the overhead costs (labor, supplies, utensils, lights in the cafeteria, etc.) from
the federal school meal reimbursement ($2.70 for a “free” meal for which over 70% of D.C.
students qualify). Food and labor costs have gone up since then. That’s not much wiggle room.

Serving local, sustainably grown foods in school meals can be more expensive than conventional
foods if there is not a system in place to purchase, process, store and distribute those foods. I’ve
talked with MANY school food service providers about this issue. They agree that the best
possible incentive would be for schools to submit receipts each month for the purchase of
unprocessed, healthy, local foods used in school meals - perhaps from a list of qualifying foods
like Connecticut. Each month the Office of the State Superintendent of Education would give
schools a 10% rebate on those purchases along with their monthly reimbursements. This way the incentive would be tied directly to local food purchasing, and it wouldn’t be too much of an
administrative burden.

If 100% of schools participated and purchased 10% local products in the 2010/2011 school year
(an incredibly high estimate) - the incentive would cost around $30,000. That is a SMALL price to pay to incentivize healthy, local foods that kids will actually eat.

In order to really kick-start farm to school programs in the District, the Council should make
good on its offer to provide a central production kitchen for public and public charter schools.
Cities across the country have developed similar facilities that provide jobs, stimulate economies, and take advantage of scale while providing schools with a central receiving, storage, processing
and transportation “node” for healthy, local foods.

Critical to this entire process is that the Healthy Schools Act require schools and food service
providers to disclose where the food they serve comes from and how it is grown. Forcing
schools to do this will get them to think about where their food comes from, whereas right now
many haven’t a clue. Without this baseline reporting, we can’t hold schools accountable and
can’t expect them to change.

And none of this will be possible unless government agencies are required to collaborate with
schools, community organizations and the private sector to promote farm to school programs
happen in the cafeteria, and connect them with classroom education and community efforts.
We call for a mandatory Farm to School promotional week each year and regular education and
promotion of the farm to school program to students and staff - this is CRUCIAL. We have the
support from the bottom up - we just need it from the top down.

Most kids (especially those at risk of hunger) get their main meals each day at school, but school
meals do more than just deliver the nutrients kids need to thrive and learn. They form eating
habits that persist later in life, and spread to families and communities. If current obesity trends continue, we will spend about $933 per adult in the District of Columbia on obesity related
health care in 2018, or about $341 million total. We can’t afford not to tackle the issue of
obesity. As the First Lady has so eloquently pointed out, it starts with what we feed our children
in schools.

The DC Farm to School Network represents hundreds of partners, many of whom either
submitted testimony or testified today, who care about the health of the District’s schoolchildren, our community, the environment and our local food economy. I have had the pleasure of working with teachers, students, food service providers, farmers, processors, private and non-profit sector leaders, chefs, educators and urban gardeners. We see the value in farm to school programs for D.C. kids, our environment, and our community. We promise to do everything we possibly can to make farm to school happen here in the nation’s capital, and we hope the Council will, too.

Andrea Northup is the coordinator of the D.C. Farm to School Network.
______________________________________________________________________________

Tracking Obesity in "Healthy Schools"

By Ed Bruske
aka The Slow Cook

Re-tooled language in "Healthy Schools" legislation scheduled for a public hearing before the D.C. Council this week would require city schools to provide parents each year with a measurement of the body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio of every child, as well as an estimate of the amount of exercise each child engages in. It also calls on city schools to consider extending the school day in order for children to have more time for physical activity, and would offer grants to schools that commit to making students more active.

Schools would also be required to send parents information in English and Spanish explaining how to interpret unhealthy body mass and waist-to-hip information and what steps can be taken to address weight problems.

Drafters of the legislation last week backed away from strict nutrition standards recommended by the Institute of Medicine that would require increased portion sizes of vegetables served in school meals, saying schools cannot guarantee the quality of vegetables served in cafeterias or that students won't throw them in the trash.

Instead, the legislation embraces requirements set forth in the U.S. Department of Agriculture "HealthierUS School Challenge," which establishes several different levels of stringency in school food nutrition.

The "Healthy Schools" bill would require all D.C. public school to adopt the "gold" level of the USDA program, meaning school cafeterias would have to offer 1/4-cup servings of dark green or orange vegetables three or more days per week, and cooked dry beans or peas once perweek. Schools would also be required to offer a different fruit, either fresh, frozen, canned, dried or 100 percent juice, every day of the week, but 100 percent fruit juice could be counted as fruit only once per week. At least one serving of whole-grain food would be offered each day.

The new bill also drops an attempt to create detailed nutrition standards for foods served outside the reqular food line in school cafeterias--so-called "competitive" foods--as well as those sold in vending machines and in school stores. Again, the "HealthierUS School Challenge" standards would apply. Total fat in those foods could be no more than 35 percent of calories, trans fat must be less than .5 grams per serving, saturated fat less than 10 percent and sugar no more than 35 percent by weight.

The only beverages allowed would be low-fat or skim milk, 100 percent fruit juice with no sweeteners and water, meaning no sugary sodas, sports drinks or ice teas. The standards would not apply to foods and beverages offered at official after-school events.

Among the other major features of the new "Healthy Schools" draft:

* Minimum and maximum calorie limits for school breakfast and lunch at all grade levels.

* Zero trans fats is school meals.

* Random testing of school meals to ensure that nutrition standards are being met.

* An additional 10 cents in funding for each breakfast and 10 cents for each lunch.

*Full funding for students who qualify for reduced-price lunch.

* Offer breakfast in the classroom in all elementary schools where at least 40 percent of the student body qualifies for free or reduced-price meals, and other alternative methods of serving breakfast in qualifying middle and high schools.

* Phasing in minimum levels of exercise over a five-year period for elementary and middle-school students, from 30 minutes per week to 150 minutes per week for children in Kindergarten through grade five, and from 45 minutes per week to 225 minutes per week for children in grades six through eight. Sources say the demand for more physical activity is one area where the legislation is meeting some resitance, because it might cut into class time. The most recent draft calls on schools to "seek to increase physical activity by considering extending the school day."

As part of better nutrition, the bill requires schools to incorporate local farm products in school meals "whenever possible" and would fund a five-cent bonus for lunches that include local produce. It also calls for a school food gardening program.

Sorry, We Can't Cook: D.C. Schools Say 'No' to More Vegetables

By Ed Bruske
aka The Slow Cook

In a move that could signal a serious fault line in the argument for more vegetables as a tonic for childhood obesity, drafters of "Healthy Schools" legislation pending before the D.C. Council have skuttled a push for additional produce in school meals after school officials said they cannot guarantee their kitchens can prepare vegetables that kids will actually eat and not throw in the trash.

"More vegetables" has become a mantra of advocates for healthier school food, including first Lady Michell Obama, whose White House vegetable garden created a sensation. The "Healthy Schools" bill, scheduled to come up for a hearing next week, had embraced standards proposed by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that would require larger servings of fruits, vegetables--especially green and organge vegetables and legumes--and whole grains as part of an upgraded school nutrition package designed to bring school meals more in line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

The IOM panel that made the recommendations, working at the behest of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, warned, however, that requiring more produce and whole grains would drive up the cost of school meals, and that there could be no guarantee that children would eat them. The requirement for heftier vegetable servings was dropped from the "Healthy Schools" bill after D.C. school officials asserted they did not want to spend precious resources on food that would only end up being thrown away.

"We heard from many that if schools are serving mushy, flavorless green beans that students are simply throwing away, that doubling the portion size would simply double the amount of mushy, flavorless green beans that are thrown away," said an aide to Councilmember Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), author of the bill. "Instead, many have said that we should focus our energy and money first on improving the quality of the foods being served before we consider mandating an increase in portion sizes."

Advocates of farm to school programs here and across the country contend that schools can serve meals that are more healthful and appealing by using more locally grown produce. But vegetables traditionally are a hard sell in school cafeterias. The foods most favored by children are pizza, all forms of potatoes and corn, in that order. As I found while spending a week in the kitchen of my daughter's elementary school here in the District, vegetables typically are cooked to death and rejected by kids. A 1996 nationwide survey of school food service managers by the U.S. General Accounting Office revealed that 42 percent of cooked vegetables — and 30 percent of raw vegetables and salad — ended up in the trash.

The move to eliminate additional vegetables from "Healthy Schools" legislation suggests that mandating better school meals may not work without funding improvements to school kitchens. In fact, the trend in school food service for years has been in just the opposite direction--to reduce labor costs, which represent half of food service costs, by hiring less skilled kitchen workers who do not work enough hours to qualify for benefits. Frequently, school kitchens are staffed by "warmer-uppers" whose sole skill is being able to re-heat foods that have been pre-cooked in distant factories and shipped frozen. Sensitive perishables such as vegetables suffer as a result.

"If we’re going to win Michele Obama’s war on obesity and if her 'Let’s Move' campaign is going to be successful, then we need to ensure healthy delicious food. We need funds to pay for cooking kitchens, to train staff, and to market to kids to eat the food," said Ann Cooper, noted school food activist and director of nutrition for schools in Boulder, Colorado.

"That seems like nonsense about kids not eating the veggies...of course they won't if it looks and tastes like cardboard," said Debra Eschmeyer, director of the National Farm to School Network. "Kids will eat fresh tasty veggies if they have a chance to access them and learn about them. I didn't believe it until I saw it with my own eyes hundreds of times. Kids will eat chard, broccoli, beets, etc. and love it when they have a chance to grow it and have a real learning experience."

The IOM report suggested there might be funds for school kitchen upgrades in the “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” (PDF) program instituted last year by USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan. Merrigan has said that nearly $1 billion in federal grant funds used in the past for building rural fire stations, hospitals and community centers could be allocated to food-related projects, such as building storage facilities for locally grown produce, food markets and school kitchens. But schools would need to apply for the money.

In a separate development yesterday, legislation making its way through the U.S. Senate would provide an additional 6 cents per school meal--something less than $500 million more annually--but that money would be contingent on federally-subsidized meal programs adopting the IOM standards. The School Nutrition Association, representing food service directors across the country, has asked for a minimum increase of 35 cents per meal. But others say anything less than $1 a day for each child in the program falls short of what is actually needed.

Still, the retooled "Healthy Schools" legislation sets forth substantial increases in local financial support for school meals, some of which could be used to purchase more vegetables and other healthful ingredients. The bill would provide an additional 10 cents for each breakfast served in D.C. public schools and 10 cents for each lunch, plus a bonus of 5 cents for lunches that include local produce. In addition, the District would fund 50 cents for students who qualify for reduced-price breakfast and lunch, meaning those students would not have to pay for their meals at all.

The bill also provides for construction of a local "super kitchen" where city schools could store and process local produce. The kitchen could also house a greenhouse, bakery or other features and provide a culinary training center.

Significantly, the "Healthy Schools" bill still does not identify funding to pay for the improvements it outlines, but Cheh has vowed to find it.

Parents Better School Food Petition

Members of Parents for Better D.C. School Food have recently developed petition language that you can use to urge members of the D.C. Council to pass the "Healthy Schools Act." Feel free to copy this message and send it to your council member.

As parents/guardians of children enrolled in DC Public Schools, we strongly support the Healthy Schools Act and urge all council members to vote in favor of this important piece of legislation. We believe industrialized, highly-refined and processed foods have no place in our schools and that all children deserve fresh, healthy meals made from whole, preferably local, ingredients. We urge DCPS to teach our children healthful eating habits, eliminate "junk" food from our schools, encourage a resilient, sustainable local agriculture system, and provide detailed, accurate, and easily accessible menu information and ingredient lists for all school meals. We urge you to support measures that would:

1) Mandate that schools buy local whenever possible, and provide financial incentives for those that do;

2) Provide a central space for processing and storing healthy, local foods for school meals;

3) Require that schools disclose where and how foods they serve are grown as well as all ingredients in school meals; and

4) Require collaboration among government agencies and community partners to integrate hands-on farm to school education into the cafeteria and classroom (including a mandatory Farm to School Week each year).


Signed,

(Your name)