WASHINGTON—The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will serve a sampling of traditional school lunch menu items to members of Congress next week to illustrate improvements its has made in the nutritional quality and taste of the $1.2 billion in school commodity foods and as well as win support to boost funding to continue reworking menus, reported the Washington Post.
The commodity foods program provides 15 percent to 20 percent of the food served in U.S. school cafeterias. More than 180 fresh and processed foods are provided to schools free, based on the number of students eligible for government assistance. Schools buy the rest of their ingredients from commercial suppliers.
Persuading schools to choose the more healthful options also is a challenge because many schools lack kitchens and are only able to reheat prepared items. Additionally, many school foodservice directors do not have nutrition or culinary training, the Post reported. President Obama has proposed an additional $1 billion for child nutrition programs, including school lunch, in his 2010 budget.