Examines the nutritional value of school lunches. (IRT)

While some school boards refuse to ban junk foods because of the loss of revenue that would result, other boards and administrators are successfully banning junk foods and finding alternatives to them. (IRT)

A Chicago newspaper revealed problems with waste, nutrition, and food quality in Type A lunches and offers some possibilities for reform. (Author/IRT)

Officials at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been offering schools more fresh fruits and vegetables through the commodities program. Despite problems in delivering perishable food in good condition, food directors are supporting the program. However, two new free-trade agreements and the Republican-led Congress may change the…

Creativity in using the commodity program to prepare school lunches, along with marketing techniques, has enabled some school districts to attract students and serve nutritious food. (MLF)

Lunches served in many school cafeterias are low in fiber and high in fat and salt. Some food service directors are willing to transform standard programs into models of healthful eating. School lunches teach children what is nutritionally desirable. (MLF)

Between 1989 and 1993, nearly 300 schools dropped out of the National School Lunch Program. Fast-food competition and open campuses lower student participation. In addition, complex rules and regulations apply to the federal program. Describes what some of the nonparticipating schools are doing to provide lunches to at-risk students. (MLF)

Some children have chronic illnesses that require diet modifications as part of their medical treatment. Advises school districts to hire a registered dietitian or look for resources at a local hospital or public health office. In addition, schools should work with parents, improve staff training, and conduct spot checks of school cafeterias. (MLF)

School food-service programs, endangered by rising costs, would benefit by taking the following steps: (1) improve food quality and presentation; (2) renovate the appearance of cafeterias; (3) enlist cafeteria personnel in reforms and include profit sharing; (4) update management procedures; and (5) cut bureaucracy. (MLF)

Nine rural school districts in Michigan's Thumb/Saginaw Valley area formed a food service cooperative in 1982-83 that has sucessfully reduced purchasing costs without sacrificing quality. In the cooperative's second year of operation, membership has expanded to 16 systems with a dozen others interested in joining. (JBM)

Pending federal legislation would require that school meals meet federal dietary guidelines. However, food service directors and nutritionists see other obstacles to improving the nutritional content of school meals such as government red tape, costs, and difficulty in changing people's tastes. Hundreds of schools, usually in affluent communities,…

Reviews United States Department of Agriculture's school lunch subsidy program, including such problems as delivery of large quantities of certain food types rejected by school children and the expense and inconvenience of subsidy food distribution. Proposes cash equivalency or commodity letters of credit as alternatives to the existing delivery…