OCR Text |
Show J Doctor in the Kitchen GXji by W.W. Bauer, M.O. HLt?. Consultant, National Dairy CouneV THE SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM Twenty years ago this month the United States launched a national na-tional program of the greatest significance to the growing children chil-dren of our nation. It was the National School Lunch Program. Long before that, concerned physicians and public health workers, as well as educators, had realized that poor nutrition in children was not only a danger to their health but a detriment to their learning capacity. Many local efforts were made to meet the challenge. The dis. tribution of milk at the morning recess time was one of the first. Pediatricians objected to this on the ground that it interfered with appetite for lunch. School Milk Begun Teachers and public health nurses observed that many chil- communities for part of tfie wt of the food, most of which is purchased locally. Some foods are purchased by the Department of Agriculture, and some surplus foods are also distributed fromt this source. All schools, private as well as public, are eligible, provided they operate on a nonprofit basis. The school lunch, too, must be per-ated per-ated on this basis. The lunch' must conform to the established standard, providing one third of the day's nutritional needs fon a 9 to 12-year-old boy. This means: One-half pint fluid whole Bulk as a beverage; Two ounces of lean meat, poultry poul-try or fish; or Two ounces of cheese, or one egg, or 12 cup cooked dryr dren came to school without breakfast, for a variety of reasons, rea-sons, including just plain shift-lessness shift-lessness of parents in some instances. in-stances. Distribution of milk was therefore undertaken, in many areas, just before the opening of school in the morning. As school and home became more and more distant, and more and more parents worked all day, it became evident that more than just mi'k was required. Many children brought lunches which were woefully inadequate nutritionally, nutri-tionally, though often appetite-satisfying appetite-satisfying enough. Educators and public health workers deplored the lack of educational impact in the mere distribution of milk, despite the fact that this partially filled a serious deficiency. So was born the National School Lunch Program, administered admin-istered through the U.S. Department Depart-ment of Agriculture and State departments of education. Federal Fed-eral funds reimburse the local spoons of peanut butter, or An equiva'ent quantity of any combination of the above-listed above-listed foods served in a main dish; A -cup serving of two or more vegetables or fruits or both.. ( or full-strength fruit or vegetable veg-etable juice may be substituted substi-tuted for V of this requirement. require-ment. With increasing numbers of children taking their noon steal at the school, the importance of such a lunch is obvious. Event more important, perhaps, is the; educational opportunity presented present-ed and the nutrition habits formed when children experience; the pleasure of good eating and improvement in their health. National School Lunch weekr, observed each October by Presidential Presi-dential Proclamation, is a significant signif-icant recognition of a monumental monument-al contribution to the nation'r-health nation'r-health through its greatest wealtb its children. |