School Leaders Fire Back Against Claims Of Unhealthy Lunches

By Ashli Sims, The News On 6

JENKS, OK -- Parents are pushing for lighter school lunches. Some slam schools for not offering students healthier options. 

The News On 6 went behind the lunch line Monday to reveal some meals racked up as many as 800 calories, but school leaders fire back. They say they're doing more than ever to help students make healthy choices.

5/17/2010  Related Story: Some Link School Lunches To Childhood Obesity 

Mrs. Leach's first grade class at Jenks West Elementary is becoming a food focus group and they're putting bell peppers to the test.

Cafeteria manager Betty Hix tosses a nutrition lesson in with the taste test to feed students' brains and bellies, and hopefully expand their appetites for veggies.

"I think by us involving them in it, they're willing to taste. Where they might not be willing to taste at home," said Hix.

"It's become a focus, finally," said Jill Parr, who is a personal trainer and mother of three.

Parr says schools are doing better, but their menus still undercut the healthy habits she tries to teach her kids.

"They're serving salad bar and offering better options, but they still have pizza on the menu almost every day. They still have chicken nuggets. It's a challenge as a parent," said Parr.

And it's a challenge for schools. They can offer fruits and vegetables, but that doesn't mean students eat them. Even a girl who chose a salad, barely touched it, while her classmates chowed down on pizza.

"They're full of fat, sugar, salt, we like that. It tastes good and we want more, and they don't want carrots and broccoli," said Suzanne Forsberg, a dietician with St. John Health System.

Forsberg has seen her clients battling with obesity get younger and younger.

"Very much, 8, 9-year-olds, 10 year-olds," said Forsberg. "We're loving our kids to death. We want to give them everything."

Forsberg says we've become addicted to high-sugar, high-fat foods and we need to detox.

"I think we need a washout. I think kids need a washout," Forsberg said. "We've got to get rid of that desire for sugar, salt, fat."

And she says schools are trying.

"You can't blame it on the schools. You can't blame it on the parents. We all have to work together," said Forsberg.

Suzanne Forsberg of St. John Health System offers a two week wash out meal plan.

Shawnee's cafeteria provides school lunches that meet a gold standard.

"It's like school lunch on steroids," said Deborah Taylor, Shawnee School Nutrition.

Shawnee Public Schools is a U.S. Healthier School. School nutritionist Deborah Taylor says basically that means they serve fresh fruits and vegetables every day, they've swapped white bread for whole grains and they meet nutrient standards daily, instead of weekly.

"Every day we have to have vitamin A. Every day we have to have vitamin C. Every day we have to meet iron requirements. And that's above and beyond what you have to do with regular school lunch," said Taylor.

Taylor says they still offer what kids want, but they also try to give them what they need.

"My job is what do they want to eat and how can I make it healthy for them," Taylor said.

Back in Mrs. Leach's class, there were some skeptics and some smiles. The green peppers didn't go over so well, but some of the 7-year-olds discovered they actually liked the snack.

"No but, they were my first time to try it and they were really good," said Jack Thomas, who is 7-years-old.

"Well, I didn't really like the red and green one, but I really liked the yellow one," said Katie Youll, who is 7-years-old.

Childhood obesity is a major issue for First Lady Michelle Obama. She launched her Let's Move campaign in February talking to parents and corporations about feeding our kids better. 

Tuesday, a coalition of 16 food manufactures, including Kellogg, Kraft, Pepsi and Campbell Soup, have agreed to trim one trillion calories from their products by 2012.