Schools get grilled on healthy cafeteria food

WASHINGTON - A non-profit organization is turning up the heat on school cafeterias to make sure summer-long banquets of vacation-time meals come to an end once the school year begins.

Action for Healthy Kids, an organization founded to address the epidemic of childhood obesity, is putting pressure on schools to cut back calories and dish out healthier options to students at lunch time.

"Somewhere around only 2 percent of kids across the country get the recommended daily (nutritional) servings," says Action for Healthy Kids Executive Director Rob Bisceglie.

The organization says switching from fried to baked potato chips is not enough of a change for growing kids.

"They're just not consuming the fruits, vegetables, low-fat, non-fat products and whole grains they need to consume," Bisceglie says.

Action for Healthy Kids has been working with District schools to change food choices outside the cafeteria as well.

"We are trying to work with the schools in Washington D.C., not to get rid of the vending machines, but to change what's in those vending machines," Bisceglie says.

As more kids are diagnosed with weight-related diseases, Bisceglie wants parents to check their childrens' menus along with their report cards. According to Action, fewer than one-in-five parents think schools offer good, nutritious food at lunch time, but fewer than one-in-four have ever complained about it.

Bisceglie says there is some good news as many school have stopping selling sodas and have banned trans-fats for their food.

For more information, visit the Action for Healthy Kids Web site here.

(Copyright 2008 by WTOP. All rights reserved.)