There has been plenty of attention over the updated nutrition standards to get kids to eat healthier at school this year, but now some schools are choosing to drop the more nutritious National School Lunch Program altogether.
According to the Associated Press, some schools districts are complaining that so many students do not like the meals packed with whole grains, fruits and vegetables and that the cafeterias were losing money.
Although no exact numbers, federal officials claim to have seen reports of schools cutting ties with the $11 billion National School Lunch Program. According to the AP, the program reimburses schools for meals served and gives them access to lower-priced food.
According to The New York Times, the new rules are a step in Michelle's Obama's campaign to reduce the number of obese children in America. The first lady said parents are constantly trying to make sure their kids eat healthy food throughout the day, so "when we are putting in all that effort the last thing we want is for our hard work to be undone each day in the school cafeteria."
The program marked the first change to the national school lunch program in 15 years, according to the Huffington Post.
The new guidelines set limits on calories and salt served in food. The new program also provided more whole grains and required that fruit and vegetables to be served daily. A typical elementary school meal under the program consisted of whole-wheat cheese pizza, baked sweet potato fries, grape tomatoes with low-fat ranch dip, applesauce and 1 percent milk.
In December, the Agriculture Department, responded to complaints that kids were not getting enough to eat after the "2-ounce-per-day" limit on grains and meats were introduced.
"Some of the stuff we had to offer, they wouldn't eat," said Catlin, Ill., Superintendent Gary Lewis. "So you sit there and watch the kids, and you know they're hungry at the end of the day, and that led to some behavior and some lack of attentiveness."
Lewis said the district saw a 10 to 12 percent drop in lunch sales. According to the AP, that translated to about $30,000 lost under the program last year.
The AP reported that in many cases, children were unfamiliar with the foods that were served. Dr. Janey Thorton, deputy undersecretary for the USDA's Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, hopes that kids will eventually come to like the new eats.
"Many of these children have never seen or tasted some of the fruits and vegetables that are being served before, and it takes a while to adapt and learn," she said.
In upstate New York, a few districts have quit the program.
Near Albany, Voorheesville Superintendent Teresa Thayer Snyder said her district lost too much money in the first three months and did not last the school year.
Apparently one percent of the 521 district nutrition directors who were surveyed said they plan to drop out of the program. Three percent reported they're thinking about dropping the program, according to the AP.
Schools who drop the school lunch program can come up with their own meal strategy. Catlin, IL, schools are bringing back fish sticks and hamburgers, but will keep items like yogurt and bananas, which are part of the National School Lunch Program.
The kids in Voorheesville are eating a sophisticated menu created by a chef. It includes a salad topped with flank steak and pasta with chicken and mushrooms.
According to AP, about 31 million students, nationally participated in the guidelines that took effect last fall under the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.
