Healthy School Lunch Year

Florida's House of Representatives have passed HR 9095, designating the 2006-2007 school year as "Healthy School Lunch Year" in that state, resolving that:

...all school districts and parents of school children in the state are urged to emphasize the importance of and to provide daily diets consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, including regular vegetarian entrée options.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the House of Representatives encourages each school district to observe a "Healthy School Lunch Celebration" on May 1, 2007, to honor food service workers for their contributions to the school children of Florida.

How's that for a feel-good resolution?

I'm mainly glad that Florida's House has acknowledged its obligations, as well as the sorry state of nutrition in schools:

WHEREAS, all children, regardless of ethnic, racial, or religious background, are entitled to a healthy meal each day at school in compliance with the mandate of the National School Lunch Program, and

WHEREAS, a disproportionate rise in poor health indicators, including obesity, risk for heart disease, diagnoses of cancer, and adult onset diabetes, are linked to diet, and a significant percentage of children who rely on free or reduced-price school lunches are considered at risk for these diet-related degenerative diseases, and

WHEREAS, recent studies indicate that more than one-fourth of Florida's children are overweight or obese and are therefore at higher risk of developing these health problems, and

WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Cancer Society, the American Dietetic Association, the American Diabetes Association, the American Heart Association, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Institutes of Health recommend a greater emphasis in the American diet on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, which contain fiber and essential nutrients, including vitamins and minerals, but are low in fat and calories and contain no cholesterol, and

WHEREAS, the USDA's Team Nutrition program has stated that less than 15 percent of children eat the minimum daily recommended servings of fruit, 35 percent eat no fruit on a given day, only 17 percent consume the minimum daily recommended servings of vegetables, and 20 percent eat no vegetables on a given day, and exposure to vegetarian entrees in the school cafeteria would positively influence children with poor eating habits, and

WHEREAS, school children who identify themselves as vegetarian or vegan or are from families who avoid meat and dairy foods may be at a disadvantage if no appropriate school lunch meals are offered in their respective schools...

These are fantastic acknowledgements, and I hope it improves health and learning in Florida's children, as well as improving the social and nutritional needs of vegetarians in the state's schools. But, in light of the recent foie gras ban in Chicago, I wonder if some in Florida are now saying "Don't we have bigger priorities than dictating our children's diets?"

Big thumbs up to FARM's CHOICE program for their efforts on this resolution. This is a great example of healthy and effective activism.

Tags: health