Erica Jacobs: Are school lunches ripe for a food revolution? Part 2

But there are huge barriers to a wholesale conversion of “nasty” school food to something colorful and fresh. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has strict guidelines requiring particular food groups and calories for every breakfast and lunch served. The cost restrictions are almost prohibitive to serving fresh food as well. There’s an irony to the fact that processed food, handled by many and containing long lists of unpronounceable ingredients, is much less expensive than single, fresh ingredients, handled by few.

Michelle Obama understands the long odds in confronting nutrition in schools and supports the bill in the Senate establishing healthier guidelines for school meals and additional money to provide more fresh food. President Obama originally asked for $14.5 billion over 10 years to improve the quality of school food, but $10 billion was cut from the bill. Even with reduced funding, the bill will allow more positive change than has taken place in cafeterias for decades.

Those cafeterias are in need of change. Oliver’s eye-opening series, “Food Revolution,” visited a West Virginia classroom in the last episode, and not one child recognized a fresh vegetable — including tomatoes and potatoes. They weren’t unintelligent — they had learned the names of all of them by his second visit — but whole, fresh vegetables weren’t foods they had seen in either their home or school kitchens.

The USDA adds to the obstacles. Their caloric allowance for high school lunches is an unhealthy 843 — a number that could be modified if the Senate bill is made law. But limiting the salutary effects of the bill is the meager 6-cent increase in per-pupil meal allowance — from $2.68 to $2.74. That will not allow cafeteria workers to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into their menus — the heart of both Michelle Obama’s and Oliver’s recommendations. Frozen French fries may have to stay on the menu as a “vegetable,” to keep down costs.

Parents are on board with the food revolution, even if cafeteria workers are reluctant to put aside their microwaves and chicken nuggets. Part of Oliver’s winning formula for change in school eating habits is community outreach, including cooking lessons. A moving moment in last week’s show involved Justin, an obese 12-year-old, who is bullied in school. Oliver taught Justin to put together a chicken, vegetable and noodle stir-fry, and rustle it up with style. You could see the boy’s pride in the finished dish; he was even standing up straighter by the end of the lesson.

Cooking is cool, fun and trendy, and it’s no harder to create beautiful, healthy meals than it is to create life-shortening meals. It is, however, more expensive. If America gets on board with these healthier changes for our children, how will we make up the cost shortfall? More on that in next week’s column.

Erica Jacobs, whose column appears Wednesday, teaches at George Mason University. E-mail her at [email protected].