In my first political act, I circulated a petition in my junior high, claiming as a human right (cringe) the right to more than 22 minutes in which to eat our lunch. I think I threw in some unkind words about Ronald Reagan and ketchup, as well. The silence was resounding. Compare that to the bright and audacious young woman who cornered Pat Mergens, nutrition services coordinator for St. Paul public schools, while
Mergens was talking to our writer, Monica Wright. She was worried, the young woman said, that her friends weren’t making good food choices. If there were more options like fresh fruit and yogurt, they might eat those. And the chicken sandwiches? They should be grilled, not breaded and fried.
Mergens took notes. (As did Monica, who assures me it was not a set-up.) Knowing what I now know about the efforts in the St. Paul public schools to improve nutrition, I’m guessing that thoughtful young woman will see some results.
Those efforts, and the recognition they have received (see page 22), are just a small indicator of a much larger trend: all our early-21st-century fretting about food has trickled down to ground zero for our kids’ eating habits, the school cafeteria. That’s where they consume one-third of their daily categories for half the year, and under the watchful eye of Uncle Sam, not Mom and Dad. But, despite the high-profile efforts of English chef Jamie Oliver and others, we still haven’t figured out how to put fresh, healthful, tasty food in front of all of our kids. Read a little bit about just what is on that tray on page 20
