Healthier school food shouldn’t be trashed

The National School Lunch Program, which helps feed most of the students in Christian County Public Schools, will soon require cafeterias to provide more fruits and vegetables and increase whole-grain foods in school meals.

The push toward healthier breakfasts and lunches is mandated, but some question if a generation of children raised on fast food, pizza and sugary soft drinks will eat more apples and green beans at school. Sandra McIntosh, food services director for the school system, told the New Era in a May 10 story that schools will have to serve fruits and vegetables that she’s certain will land in trash cans. Cafeterias will have to provide veggies at breakfast, she warned, just to meet the new meal standards.

“That is a waste right there because it means you are preparing more plus it is going to go in the trash,” McIntosh said. “That is something that comes from the government, and we can’t stop it.”

Hold that thought for a minute.

A few years ago, school administrators began to talk about changing the culture of learning in Christian County Public Schools. They said every child could learn. They said the high percentage of local students from poor homes was no excuse for low academic performance. They said principals and teachers had to work harder to educate every child  — even when it seemed impossible.

It’s been a tough transition in the school system, and it’s not over. But many people are working very hard to make sure that every child learns.

What does any of this have to do with the school system’s cafeterias? It’s about expectations. Expect failure and that’s what we’ll get.

This week, HBO televised its four-part documentary, “The Weight of the Nation.” The documentary explains this country’s looming crisis from obesity.  It could bankrupt our health care system. The documentary makes a case for tackling the problem early. That means in schools because many children get more than 50 percent of their calories in a cafeteria.

Last month, through the nationwide -County Health Rankings, we also learned that 31 percent of adults in Christian County are obese. The health of children and adults affects the economy and quality of life in this community.

Considering the results of the health rankings, it is clear that food’s link to health is a huge problem in Christian County.

Now consider this: Approximately 7,500 of Christian County’s 9,370 public school students get a meal through the National School Lunch Program. Of those, about 4,000 eat breakfast at school. That looks like a good place to tackle the problem.

As difficult as it might seem, the school system has to change expectations about health. We have to expect apples and greens will be eaten, not thrown in the trash. Sure, expectation and reality are not the same thing, but change has to start somewhere.

The federal government is mandating healthier school meals. Now we need a local attitude that matches the mandate.