This is an article from the Organic Consumers Association newsletter. (Don't worry the OCA encourages people to share the info.)
STUDY OF THE WEEK:
HEALTHY CAFETERIAS SAVE SCHOOLS MONEY
A new study in the December issue of the Review of Agricultural Economics puts to rest the myth that serving nutritious meals in schools will turn off kids and break the school budget. School lunch programmers often make the claim that junk foods, like hot dogs, nachos and pizza, must be served in cafeterias, because healthy food is too expensive and kids won't buy it anyway. In contrast, researchers analyzed 330 school districts over a five year period and found that shifting school lunch programs towards healthier foods does not reduce student demand and ultimately saves the school money. While serving better meals requires higher labor costs, those expenses are offset by lower costs for more nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables compared with processed foods. Learn more about how you can help your child's school integrate healthier foods into the cafeteria by visiting the Organic Consumers Association's "Appetite for a Change Campaign": www.organicconsumers.org/afc.cfm
STUDY OF THE WEEK:
HEALTHY CAFETERIAS SAVE SCHOOLS MONEY
A new study in the December issue of the Review of Agricultural Economics puts to rest the myth that serving nutritious meals in schools will turn off kids and break the school budget. School lunch programmers often make the claim that junk foods, like hot dogs, nachos and pizza, must be served in cafeterias, because healthy food is too expensive and kids won't buy it anyway. In contrast, researchers analyzed 330 school districts over a five year period and found that shifting school lunch programs towards healthier foods does not reduce student demand and ultimately saves the school money. While serving better meals requires higher labor costs, those expenses are offset by lower costs for more nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables compared with processed foods. Learn more about how you can help your child's school integrate healthier foods into the cafeteria by visiting the Organic Consumers Association's "Appetite for a Change Campaign": www.organicconsumers.org/afc.cfm
