School lunch changes to require healthier foods

APPLETON - The old school lunch menu offering pizza and corn dogs is about to get an overhaul. Sweeping changes aim to give growing children a brain boost right in the middle of their day. It's a move many parents support.

"I think it is a very good idea. It's good to have options and I think healthier options are always better for our children," said Sherry Hernke of Darboy.

The changes mean more fruits and vegetables along with more whole grains and foods prepared with less sodium. A salad bar at Johnston Elementary School in Appleton is just one of the ways the Appleton Area School District points out it is ahead of the curve when it comes to serving healthy school lunches.

Like many school districts, Appleton contracts with a food service company to provide those school lunches. About 13,000 meals are served each day to students in the district. The district's food service provider, Aramark, says many of the new changes have already been implemented. Representatives with Aramark did not want to talk on camera but did release a statement saying,

"Our menus feature low and non-fat dairy options; lean protein choices; access to a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables; assorted whole grain products; and 100 percent fruit juice and water. We continue to reduce added fats, sugar and salt; eliminate added trans fats; offer healthy, nutrient-dense snacks."
 
"We get out of our bodies what we put in them," said Larry London, executive chef with Theda Care.

London says the importance of good nutrition for students cannot be overlooked.

"If we take fresh fruits and vegetables and fabricate them the way nature intended for us with very simple preparations, they are healthy for us. They are full of fiber, minerals and nutrients," he said.

Teaching children how to make good food choices in the lunch room is a lifelong skill as important as any they will learn in the classroom.