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Show Doctor in the Kitchen by Laurence M. Hursh, M.D. Consultant, National Dairy Council SCHOOL FEEDING PROGRAMS Lunch at school has become part of the American tradition part of our way of life. The benefits bene-fits are enormous. The program helps to build strong bodies and alert minds in our children. It also helps teach good food habits to those who will be tomorrow's adult Americans. School lunch is the largest nonprofit non-profit food service operation in the world. It is a prime example of how local, state, and Federal efforts can be coordinated. Three-fourths Three-fourths of our school-age children are enrolled in the more than 70,000 schools serving nutritious, well-balanced lunches each school day. A total of 18 million youngsters young-sters participate in the program. Poor Nutrition A Danger But bigness is not the sole measure of accomplishment to be applied to school lunch. The interest in school lunch in the United States dates back more than a hundred years. Early in this century concerned physicians and public health workers, as well as educators, had realized that poor nutrition in children was a danger to their health. Many local efforts were made to meet the challenge. Milk at morning recess was one of the first. Later, milk distribution just before the opening of school was undertaken in many areas. This was done because it was noted that many children came to school without breakfast. The reasons varied. Sometimes, it was just the plain shiftlessness of parents. Some Lunches Inadequate As distances lengthened between be-tween home and school, and more parents worked all day, the need for more than just milk at school became apparent. Many of the lunches that children brought to school were nutritionally inadequate. inade-quate. Educators also believed lunch at school could have educational educa-tional impact. Thus, in 1946 the National School Lunch Act was enacted by Congress. And nowadays, nowa-days, educators coordinate the experience students have in eating eat-ing nutritious meals with nutrition nutri-tion education in the classroom. Both the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state departments depart-ments of education are involved. Federal funds reimburse the local communities for part of the cost of the food, most of which is purchased pur-chased locally. Some foods are purchased by USDA; some surplus sur-plus foods also are distributed from this source.' Nonprofit Schools Eligible Both public and private (nonprofit) (non-profit) schools are eligible provided pro-vided they operate the lunch program pro-gram on a nonprofit basis. Established Estab-lished standards provide that the lunch must meet the lunchtime nutritional needs of the children. The four food groups, including milk, are emphasized. The meals must be served without with-out cost, or at reduced cost, to children who are unable to pay the full price of the lunch. No discrimination or segregation within the school against any child is permitted because of his inability to pay, or because of race, color, or national origin. Almost a billion dollars' worth of lunches are served in schools each year under this program. But there are still almost 10 million mil-lion children attending schools without any food service at all, and millions of children who do not participate in schools where lunch is served. More nutrition education is needed to counter this fact. Parents can help, too. Schools in needy areas can get Federal assistance if there is a lack of food service equipment. |