New Program Ensures Kids Are Eating Healthy At School

Monday, August 27th 2007, 4:48 pm

By: News On 6

Some parents who want to monitor what their children are eating at school have a new tool that makes it easier. It's a program that in this area, only Broken Arrow schools is doing. The News On 6â€™s Emory Bryan reports the system lets parents pay lunch money into an online account, and get back a report of what their children buy in the lunch line.

Every day Centennial Middle School serves almost 800 meals in an hour and a half. It's a challenge to both charge students correctly and ensure they get something healthy. Now, parents can monitor what children buy at lunch, and set limits if they choose.

"They will say flag the account so they can't buy those," Linda Farthing with Broken Arrow Schools said.

Each student punches in their account number when they go through the lunch line, and each item they buy is recorded. That information is available to their parents, online.

"It's nice to have access to this to make sure your child is getting what he said he's getting and what you want him to get," Keith Isbell with Broken Arrow Schools said.

The system is called MealpayPlus. It was started as a way to let parents keep up with the lunchroom account online. The side benefit of monitoring what children are buying has proven popular. The principal asked the seventh graders how many of their parents are checking online and a lot raised their hands. The lunch ladies know why.

â€œA lot of them buy the meal to buy the extras because you have to buy the meal and you're allowed to buy the two extras a day,â€ Linda Mearns of Broken Arrow Schools said.

The extras include chips, drinks and ice cream. The staples, like the carrot salad, aren't as popular, but children buy them with the meal, then buy extras and eat those instead.

"Cause you have to have something healthy on your tray to pay for your meal," student Victoria Moon said.

The online system is a tool for parents to help their children make healthy choices and pay only for what they need. Tulsa Public Schools does not offer the service, in fact, only a few Oklahoma schools do. MealpayPlus does not cost the school anything, parents pay for it with a $2 fee each time the account is replenished, but for many the convenience and information is worth it.

Watch the video: Technology Helps Parents Keep Tabs On Kids Lunch Habits