Philadelphia Tribune - Index

Philadelphia Tribune - The Learning Key, Tuesday September 22, 2009 - Index

SCHOOL MENUS
GET A
HEALTHY
MAKEOVER
Clair Davis
Tribune Correspondent
The School District of
Philadelphia is
acutely aware of the
increasing number
of children being
diagnosed with childhood obesity
in large urban centers such as
Philadelphia. They know that
there are many problems and
diseases that can arise from
unhealthy eating. That is why
Wayne Grasella, senior vice president
of the Division of Food
Services for the District and his
staff continually strive to
improve the menu and provide a
nutritious, delicious meal to the
students who enter the doors of
the 267 buildings that they service.
That would explain why the
menu for the 2009-10 school
year is taking on a healthier,
more appealing look.
This summer the Food Service
Department capped off all of the
fryers or completely removed
them in all 267 buildings. NO
MORE FRIED FOODS! Yes,
they’ll still offer French fries but
they will be deliciously and
nutritiously baked. Schools will
be introducing a wide variety of
baked products that will still satisfy
the student’s palate.
Things that would normally be
fried may taste a little different
but they will still be ummm,
ummm good. There will be
multigrain crust pizza and more
fruits and vegetables. In the high
schools, students will see more
of a variety of fresh fruits and
chef salads.
Grasella said that the school
food service program is federally
regulated by the USDA. The
USDA develops and models what
the children will be served. They
specify how much of each food
group the children should have
and what the portion sizes
should be. A meal may consist of
2 ounces of protein, one bread,
one milk and one vegetable serving.
“We are always working with
our stakeholders, the principals,
parents and guardians to stop
children from bringing in
unhealthy foods from the outside,”
he explained.
“We can only sell or serve the
healthiest snacks because the
USDA is very strict about the
sugar and sodium content. We
only serve 100 percent fruit
juice, milk and water and have
been doing so for the past four
years.”
The district must meet the
minimum guidelines, but
Grasella and his staff kick it up
a notch and “take it to the next
level to make the meal even better.”
“We are working with nutrition
educators and outside groups to
look at what we serve on a daily
basis, analyze the data that we
gather and come up with ideas
to meet the standards for our
wellness policy and the requirements
set by the USDA,” said
Grasella. “For example, we work
with Children’s Hospital to analyze
the menu. We partner with
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