More-healthful school menus fatten districts' food bills

Ofelia Madrid:

chool lunch has definitely changed from the days of mystery meat slapped onto a tray.

Some students now have their choice of chicken Caesar wraps, chocolate covered bananas and fruit and yogurt parfaits.

Schools across the Valley are making the switch to more-healthful foods on the lunch menu in anticipation of a state law banning junk food and a federal wellness mandate requiring more-healthful lunches starting July 1.

School district nutrition directors must figure out how to meet the nutrition guidelines and offer more-healthful foods, which are more expensive. Students, who are noticing and liking some of the new foods, could be asked to pay more than the average $2 for lunch.

"They're . . . giving us healthier sides," said Scottsdale student Jessica Charchedi. "Now we get fruit instead of fruit rollups,"

Food broker David Glutz remembers getting into the school-lunch business 20 years ago.

"The school wanted to spend 40 cents an entree. That hasn't changed," said Glutz, who works with most Valley school districts.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at March 7, 2006 6:21 AM
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