At Yorkshire Elementary School, just outside the nation’s capital, the kitchen staff
are getting creative. They’re preparing healthy dishes that could end up on school
meal menus. It’s part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new effort to improve nutrition
and fight obesity. School meals have gotten healthier. We will see now, when you go into
school cafeterias, increases in fruits, in vegetables, in whole grains, looking at reductions
in fats and sugars, eliminating trans fats – just really making the food healthier.
Today the students are trying fresh fruit with sunflower butter instead of peanut butter;
a healthy black bean pizza made with whole grain crust; and other dishes. Officials say
these taste tests are important. Not only do we want the food to be healthy, we want
the food to be kid-friendly. The school day just got healthier, but did it get tastier?
That’s up to our panel of experts, in the fifth grade. (Do you like the pizza?) Yes,
sir! It tastes so good, i can’t really explain it! (Have you tried the plantain yet?) It’s
really good. (Do you like the sun butter?) It kind of tastes just like peanut butter.
I guess it’s better, though, because not many people are allergic to it. (What is your
favorite thing you’ve tried here today?) Um, the pineapple and the sunflower broccoli.This
pizza. I like how they put the beans on it and how i eat it with the bread. It’s good!
The USDA says improved school meals nutrition can help cut the number of obese kids, and
better prepare students for learning – but that’s not all. One other thing I would
challenge you all to do, when there’s something new that you have at school that you like,
go home and tell your mom or your dad. You might introduce new foods to them at home.And
at home, they might also give those new foods – thumbs up. In Manassas, Virginia for the
u-s department of agriculture, I’m Pat O’Leary.
