Meatless Monday Spinoffs

I've reported before that the Baltimore City School District became the first school district in the nation to wholly adopt Meatless Mondays in 2009. Now we're seeing the effect that decision is having on neighboring Baltimore County schools.

Several years ago, Baltimore County educator Brad Herling banned cupcakes and candy from school parties, a move welcomed by parents, many of whose kids are obese. The PTA there has strong feelings about getting kids healthier.

National legislation is pending to revamp the School Lunch Program. If the new Federal Standards become law, pizza in schools around the country will have whole-wheat crust and low-fat mozzarella cheese. Vending machines will have less sugary sodas and candy.

These are welcome steps. Yet now a Baltimore County parent group wants to pass even stricter standards for healthy school food than would be required by the Federal government.

At Herling's new school, Centennial Lane, the PTA initiated a pilot two years ago to replace about 10 different snacks that the school served during lunch. Many of the replacement snacks were not only low in fat and sugar, but also free of additives and preservatives. The school offered free taste tests to the students to sell them on the newer, less-known items, which included cookies, fruit roll-up snacks and yogurt without preservatives and coloring.

"I think that there is still room for improvement," the PTA's Megan Roth said of the school food offerings in general. "The general feeling is that they can still be healthier than they really are. The county guidelines and the state have done a fair job as far as trying to limit sugar and fat. There are still preservatives and additives. In talking to parents, that is still a big concern."

I'm so encouraged to hear this expanding consciousness.

And what is the man who instituted Meatless Mondays in the Baltimore city schools up to?

Along with providing meatless lunch options in the cafeterias, Tony Geraci, director of food and nutrition services for Baltimore schools, advocates using locally grown organic produce as much as possible.

"Geraci also hopes to convert a former warehouse into a 37,000-square-foot central kitchen where cooks can prepare local foods and then ship them to school cafeterias for final heating and assembly. The project is expected to cost $3 million," The Baltimore Sun reported.

"It has taken a lot of pushing and a lot of shoving," said Geraci, "but now we are at a place where we have figured out creative funding to make this thing happen."

Locally grown, locally prepared, organic, low in sugar and fat  AND preservative and additive-free. Wow! This is a great movement. I hope I can help Hawaii to follow in Baltimore's footsteps. Any ideas you have in that regard, please write in! Let's help our island keiki start their lives slim and strong.

Meanwhile, to offer your own healthy lunch and snack foods, pick up these Meatless Monday sale items, Mondays until September 13.

Yves "Veggie Pizza Pepperoni Fat Free", 4.2 oz. regularly 4.79, on sale for 3.59. Make your own whole-wheat, low-fat pizza and add these meatless pepperoni slices!

Serve up lunch in a jiffy with Lightlife "Tofu Pups", 12 oz., "Smart Dog", 12 oz.,  and  "Smart Dog Jumbo Fat Free", all regularly 5.99, on sale for 2.99. Just add a whole-wheat bun, carrot sticks and a glass of organic low or fat-free milk for a balanced lunch.

I leave you with today's Veggie Quote:

"There slowly grew up in me an unshakable conviction that we have no right to inflict suffering and death on another living creature, unless there is some unavoidable necessity for it."

Albert Schweitzer, M.D.

Alsatian philosopher and medical missionary, 1952 Nobel prize recipient, (1875-1965)