020847 Some School Lunches Flunk Nutrition Test

Washington (PRNewswire) - Nine of the ten biggest school districts in the country are failing to provide the kind of healthy lunches that would help prevent childhood obesity and other health problems, say dietitians with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). The organization is issuing its annual School Lunch Report Card today.

PCRM's nutrition department graded the nutritional quality of the elementary school lunches served in ten of the largest U.S. school districts participating in the federally assisted National School Lunch Program. The program is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

"If we're going to reverse current trends of childhood obesity and diabetes, we've got to get more low-fat and vegetarian meals on the school menus," says PCRM staff dietitian Jen Keller, R.D. "Kids need more fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains and fewer greasy hamburgers, chicken nuggets, and French fries. Learning how to eat right is a lesson that will benefit them for life."

Dietitians analyzed 15 days worth of menus for each school, awarding points based on whether the institution met the USDA's standard nutrition guidelines and how frequently it offered low-fat vegetable side dishes, whole or dried fruit, hot meatless and vegan entrees, and cholesterol-free options. The schools earned extra points for offering non-dairy, calcium-rich beverages. Here are the results:

School District Location Grade (out of 100)

Broward County School District Fort Lauderdale, Fla. 85 B

Dade County School District Miami, Fla. 71 C

Fairfax County Public Schools Fairfax, Va. 71 C

New York City Public Schools New York, N.Y. 70 C

Clark County School District Las Vegas, Nev. 66 D

Dallas Independent School District Dallas, Tex. 65 D

Los Angeles Unified School District Los Angeles, Calif. 60 D

Philadelphia City School District Philadelphia, Penn. 59 F

Detroit City School District Detroit, Mich. 57 F

Houston Independent School District Houston, Tex. 57 F

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) is a nonprofit organization that promotes preventive medicine, particularly good nutrition, and conducts clinical research trials. PCRM also promotes higher standards in research. For more information visit http://www.pcrm.org.

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