Schools have altered their menus and food preparation. Turkey and chicken are now mixed with beef to lower the fat content. Cafeteria workers skim fat from broth before making gravy. Schools offer a range of fresh fruit that popular with kids, including strawberries, melons and even kiwis. Over the objections of the beef industry, the government also has allowed schools to offer yogurt and soy products, such as veggie burgers, as meat substitutes.
Kids choose what foods they know.
If they are eating a lot of pizza at home, they're going to choose pizza at school. Some schools are even offering students more candy and other snacks than they used to, the USDA report says. Such snack items have become a fund-raising tool for schools to pay for such things as band uniforms. The report also says secondary schools in particular need to improve the nutritional content of meals. Just 20 percent of lunches served in secondary schools provided at least one-third of the recommended daily allowances for vitamins and minerals while 70 percent of elementary school meals met the standard.