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Health & Fitness

'CV Schools Dish Out Empty Calories'

Isn't it time to turn the page on unhealthy, highly processed school lunches?

Tater tots, pizza, burgers, mac & cheese, cheese quesadillas, corn dogs, breakfast sandwiches, french toast sticks, sun butter with jelly, and Philly cheese steak sandwiches are some of the lunch items on the menu at cafeterias around the Castro Valley Unified School District. 

Sadly, this list comprises what most of us would consider to be empty calories and or "fast food."   I imagine that if one were to read the ingredient listings on the boxes of processed and frozen food stuffs, it would be lengthy with most of the fillers, additives and preservatives proving unpronouncable.

Before you get your hackles up, I would like to state that I'm a big fan of In & Out Burger.  I regularly dream of the flavor magnificence that In & Out embodies.  However, I view such food as a once-in-a-while indulgence rather than a daily or even weekly affair.  Unfortunately, it seems that the Castro Valley Unified School District does not make such a distinction.  It seems that the lines have been blurred between what should constitute a child's wholesome, balanced meal and what simply meets some bureaucratic calorie counter's quota.

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The glaring omissions in the empty, calorie laden laundry list above are legumes, fresh dark green vegetables, leafy greens, orange and purple vegetables, whole grains, and fruit.  Now take a look at what the USDA has designated as empty calories.  See any similarities to the offerings on the district's menu?  The USDA has decreed as of 2011, that no less than half of every meal, including meals served to children, should comprise fruits and vegetables... and by this the USDA does not mean for children to consumer half a plate of ketchup, stewed fruit in corn syrup, fruit-based jelly, processed white flour or potatoes.

So, what to do?  Clearly the option always exists to pack your child's lunch daily.  However, by opting out are we not simply enabling the less-than-desirable status quo?  Furthermore, elementary school lunches are going for $2.75/ea.  I stand before you to testify that $2.75 can in fact buy a child a made-from-scratch meal of wholesome ingredients including lean unprocessed protein, whole grains, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables. 

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In fact, the school district in Greeley, Colo., figured out that it could not only feed students using wholesome ingredients from scratch, it was able to make such food for more than 19,600 students, 60 percent of which qualified for reduced or free lunches. 

As if that weren't enough, they were able to save the district money in the process.  So it's do-able, and seems like a no-brainer, but change can be hard.

Studies suggest that healthier students are better learners and the Castro Valley Unified School District — like others statewide — is financially strapped, so isn't it time to turn the page on unhealthy, highly processed school lunches?            

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