Changes in the School Cafeteria

It might have been what you liked as a child, but you won't find baked chicken, whole milk or meatloaf in many school cafeterias. Tastes have changed and maybe more importantly, efforts are underway to attack the growing problem of childhood obesity.

At the Hollidaysburg Area School District, Food Service Director Susan Royer says there's more emphasis on offering a healthier meal, more densely nutrient-wise . That means giving kids more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and trying to get them to eat the more nutritious choices.

Royer says the district has started offering a larger portion of fruit at its elementary schools and kids are snapping it up, but vegetables are a tougher sell. To entice students to sample the greens, the school does offer a salad bar to older students.

Whole wheat bread is offered several days a week, but still isn't as popular as white, especially among the younger children. "We know that some kindergarten children take their chicken patty out of the whole grain roll and throw the roll away but eat the chicken patty," Royer says.

The school's also changed the size and type of snack items that it sells children. "We used to sell cookies in our elementary schools. We no longer do that. We serve all our bagged snacks like potato chips are baked or reduced fat." -- The school doesn't make as much money from snacks as it used to. There's also less income from the sales of sodas which are only available after school hours. It's hoped the trade-off will be slimmer healthier students.