An Expert Says School Lunches Can and Should Be Healthy Fare

With the start of the new school year, it's time to take a look at one topic that is often left off of the "back to school" checklist-- nutrition. And with recent attention around obesity statistics and lack of good nutrition among U.S. children, it's a perfect time to take a good look at what we're feeding our kids. In 1996, for example, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that nearly 25 percent of youth age 6 to 17 are officially overweight. Other studies show the low percentage of children getting enough fruits and vegetables each day.

EarthSave International, a national non-profit educational organization, is calling attention to the pitfalls of the Standard American Diet-- centered on meat and dairy products-- and is encouraging parents to shift toward a more "plant-based" diet for their kids. It's all part of the "Healthy Food for Healthy Kids" programs sponsored by EarthSave chapters around the country this September. Today most people realize that we are plagued by chronic conditions like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. And nearly a decade after the Surgeon General warned that 68 percent of diseases are diet-related, people are beginning to re-examine the impact of what they eat.

But few people realize that many chronic conditions take root in the behaviors we form during childhood. For example, a study released last year said that 70 percent of 12-year olds in the U.S. have a significant amount of atheroscelerotic plaque in their arteries. The fatty streaks that plaque builds upon have been found in the arteries of children as young as 2 years of age. EarthSave wants to encourage parents to adopt dietary habits with their family that will help prevent disease. All 50 medications were found to be clearly visible to varying degrees on plain X-ray films. As a group, minerals were found to be the most visible with potassium chloride topping the list. Prednisone was the least visible. The authors cautioned doctors to be aware that virtually all undissolved medications can show up on X-rays and that their appearance on X-ray films could be confused with conditions such as gallstones or kidney stones. Dr. Evans said that the process of digestion breaks down pills and the study did not account for this effect. However, he said that many patients have conditions which impair digestion, so that real life conditions can frequently resemble those of the study.

"We've come to accept that suffering from these conditions is normal. But if we can teach our kids different eating habits, we can reduce many of these risks for future generations," explains EarthSave President Stacey Vicari. One trend has emerged from the onslaught of medical advice that consumers and parents receive today-- if you eat less animal foods (meat and dairy)Êin your diet and more plant foods like fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes, you will be on the road to good health. Groups like the American Heart Association and the American Dietetic Association echo this advice.

But is it possible to raise a child on a vegetarian diet and still meet the nutritional needs for their growing bodies?

According to the American Dietetic Association (ADA), the answer is: with careful planning, yes. "Vegetarian diets can be healthful for people of all ages," stated Julie Covington, a Gastonia, N.C., registered dietitian and chair of ADA's vegetarian nutrition practice group. "The toddler and preschool years particularly are important for developing healthy eating patterns that can establish a foundation for a healthful adult diet," she explained. Vicari warned that parents against paying attention solely to the potential pitfalls of plant-based diets for kids. "While it's true that vegetarian diets need to be balanced, the same could be said for any diet. The science shows the value of plant-based diets. The real 'risk' that adults and parents should be worrying about is to continue eating the 'normal' diet. This is what's giving adults and kids alarming rates of disease," she added.