School Lunch and its Challenges

Since starting our fresh, organic school lunch program at Organic Fresh Fingers, we've had to be aware of all the federal regulations on school lunches. As The Seattle Times found out when it did an in-depth report on Seattle school lunch programs, there are quite a few obstacles to overcome when trying to make school lunches fresher and healthier.

"Should schools increase their lunch budget — which could force cuts to other programs? How about jacking up the prices, so well-off families subsidize the low-income kids? You wouldn't want to suggest the less-affluent kids should get less, would you?

Now, before you vote, remember you have to play by a lot of rules. (And in case you think that's easy, please know that I've deciphered everything from Supreme Court rulings to state foster-care regulations, and this stuff was just as complicated.)

While districts set their own menus, they've got to meet minimums set by the USDA for protein, iron, calcium and Vitamins A and C. They've also got to keep the fat calories under 30 percent.

They've got to make food that kids want to put on their trays, or risk losing funding. (Remember, the feds only give meal subsidies for kids who actually take the meals. Commodity allotments are based on the number of lunch-eaters, too.)

And they've got to create meals that can easily be consumed, by little hands, in less than 20 minutes. Often with a spork." - The Seattle Times, "School lunch has so many issues to chew on, it's tough to change," by Maureen O'Hagan

Organic Fresh Fingers works with school to provide them nutritious, organic and affordable meals that meet all the federal requirements. And kids love the food. Please visit www.organicfreshfingers.com to learn more about how Organic Fresh Fingers is changing school lunch programs in the Salem and Portland metro areas.