Free Dinners for D.C. Public School Children

Photo source: LA Times

We at the Organic School Project see that there are two main defects in the current system of feeding our nation’s kids: one being that far too many children consume processed, sugary, and generally unhealthy foods when they’re at school for lunch, and the other being that this may be the only meal that some children get all day. Needless to say, the two are very related, and both play a leading role in the childhood obesity epidemic that our country is currently facing.

One program implemented by the Washington D.C. public school system is taking a step to combat this epidemic. As reported by the Washington Post, some of the schools in our nation’s capital have begun offering free, healthy, locally sourced dinners to as many as 10,000 students.

The program was started for two main reasons: 1. Many kids staying after school for programs or activities remained at school well into the evening, missing what would normally be considered “dinnertime,” and 2. some children were simply not eating dinner at home. Due in part to the most recent recession, many families are unable to provide dinner, forcing many kids to eat their one and only meal of the day while at school.

Though the program does cost the school district an additional $5.7 million dollars, we must keep in mind that this is not money going down the drain; it is an investment in our nation’s future. And to us, the dollar amount becomes a minor detail when it means the difference between promoting nourishing versus detrimental eating habits, don’t you think?

Prescriptions for healthy food

One reason why fast food restaurants are so appealing to low income families is because of the amount of food a family can get for a dollar. Families with limited amount of money to spend on food often rely on cheaper, higher calorie foods in order to maximize calorie intake for amount of money spent. This can cause over consumption of calories and an unhealthy diet that leads to obesity and other health problems. A new pilot program in Boston hopes to compete with fast food. By making healthy food less expensive, it is now possible for low-income families to afford the healthier option.

In this effort to combat obesity in children, doctors at three health centers in Boston are encouraging children of low-income families to use local farmers’ markets as a preventative approach to health problems. Doctors are providing coupons amounting to $1 a day for each member of a patient’s family to be used on healthy options at these markets. The goal is to amend eating habits. The doctors hope to augment the amount of fruits and vegetables the kids are familiar with and will eat and increase their intake of fruit and vegetables by one serving a day.

This program is a great effort to make healthy food more affordable; though can it have a long-term influence on reducing obesity? The program not only relies on families getting to the markets to use the coupons, but also on families increasing their fruits and vegetable consumption and cutting back on their intake of junk food. It may take more than just a voucher for healthy foods to alter many years worth of poor eating habits.

Access to the markets also raises a concern. Lowering food cost can only be successful if the families are able to get to the fresh food; and what will happen once the farmers’ market season ends? Will the families revert back to their old snack habits without the access to affordable healthy food during the winter?

The doctors will be monitoring participants from 50 families, determining the effects on eating patterns and health indicators such as body mass index (BMI).

To read about the program, click below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/13/business/13veggies.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=obesity&st=cse