On The Menu: Better School Lunches

Did you know that U.S. government research shows that school-children will actually choose to eat healthy foods if those items are offered on the menu? Here's how to help bring healthier choices to schools--and healthier choices to your child's plate.

Check with your child's school. Some schools have already recognized the importance of providing healthy lunch options and they're leading the way for other schools. If your school is among these, congratulate them on a job well done!

Get a jump on school vending machines. Schools don't place vending machines in the halls these days just to please the kids. Those vending contracts help funnel money back to the schools. If your child's school won't remove the machines, push to have healthier products placed inside them and to sell them at lower prices to encourage kids to make healthier food choices. Better yet, suggest the school strike vending contracts that pay them higher commissions for selling healthy items.

Push healthy foods outside the cafeteria. Getting kids to eat better at lunchtime means setting a healthy example during other school activities. Encourage your school to offer healthier fare at snack bars, student stores, and concession stands located on school grounds. Then make a point to offer healthy items such as fruit, granola, air-popped popcorn, and yogurt at school functions and other extracurricular events instead of simply serving up the usual pizza. While you're at it, suggest selling healthy items for school fund-raisers instead of candy, cookies, and other foods that contain low nutritional value.

Team up with local food producers. The USDA and many enterprising schools around the country are pioneering "farm-to-school" programs that allow schools to purchase food from local producers. Buying locally supports nearby farmers and often saves the schools money. It also cuts down on the pollution and global warming that comes with shipping produce over long distances.

Put kids in charge of the daily meal. Many schools across the U.S. are creating school gardens where fruits and vegetables are harvested and supplied to their school cafeterias. Offer to start a garden at your school and organize a team of students to help manage the crop. Garden techniques and nutritional information can also be incorporated into the school curriculum. You can even follow the lead of some innovative schools and suggest cooking classes that let students prepare foods of all types and incorporate their dishes into school lunch menus.

Pack a lunch with healthy provisions. Get your kids in the habit of eating healthy by sending in lunches from home that contain at least one healthy food item each day. Then adopt a fruit-and-vegetable-only policy for after-school snacks back at home. Too rushed in the morning to pack a proper lunch? Check your area for companies that will pack and deliver good-tasting and nutritionally balanced lunches to your child at his or her school. Some examples: Kid Chow (kid-chow.com), Health e-Lunch Kids (healthelunchkids.com), and KidFresh (kidfresh.com). You'll pay more than the cost of a meal in the cafeteria line, but prices should come down as more of these providers crop up around the country.