School Lunches Undergo Changes Due To Obesity Issue.

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In its upcoming edition, Time (4/26, McGray) reports that "school lunch is facing new scrutiny" as the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act looms "at a time of unprecedented attention to childhood obesity." Time observes that there is "even a prime-time network reality show (Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution) that takes place in school cafeterias and has stars bickering about chicken nuggets and federally mandated grain servings." The Institute of Medicine "has found that a typical high school lunch contains more than twice the recommended limit for sodium intake, too many calories from sugar and saturated fat and too few fruits and vegetables. Congress seems likely to raise federal reimbursements by a few cents -- which is more than it sounds but still less than the White House requested -- and tie the increase to more thorough health standards." School kitchens will face "really hard work," since "they'll be asked to serve wholesome meals at fast-food prices. And not just that: kids have to like them."
        Seattle Times: School Lunch Program Needs Better Funding, Healthier Food. The Seattle Times (4/16) editorializes, "As Congress takes up reauthorization of the National School Lunch Program, funding must be more realistic about the daily cost of feeding 31 million children." Although the President "proposes spending an extra $1 billion each year on child-nutrition programs including school lunch," in reality, "funding...must be lower. But not by much," the Times asserts. The US Senate's ten-year, $4.5 billion bill, it adds, is "workable," but needs more money. "In addition to standard changes such as improved training for food workers and quicker alerts to schools about contaminated food recalls, the Senate bill would set new nutrition standards for all school food, from lunchrooms to vending machines." The Times concludes, "Better funding and healthier food should guide the school-lunch program."