It's about time for a school lunch makeover

When I read that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) had released new guidelines to improve the nutrition of school lunches, my first reaction was "It's about time!" The guidelines include setting a maximum number of calories in a meal, lowering the sodium, saturated fat and starchy vegetables, and increasing the amount of fruit, vegetables and whole grains.

Having lived through school lunches of chicken fried steak with cream gravy, mashed potatoes, and a big cup of ketchup as the "vegetable" (thank you Ronald Reagan), I realize that many school cafeterias have made some strides. But placing a largely ignored bowl of apples at the end of the line does little to negate the greasy pizza, and fried chicken patties that usually precede that bowl. And my children have been known to throw at me that a meal of macaroni and cheese with French fries can't be that bad, since it's served at the school cafeteria.

One of my brothers tells me that I worry too much. We ate it, and it didn't kill us. But it is killing us. And it's setting up our children for a lifetime of poor health. A new national survey released by the Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association found that most Americans don't realize that heart disease risk doesn't wait until adulthood. The American Heart Association even held a conference this year looking at the dangers of the growing girth of our children. And they are growing—some estimates say that 1 in 3 of our kids are overweight.

But just mention "healthier lunches" at any PTA or PTO meeting, and you're likely to get the lethal trifecta as a response: It costs too much. We don't have the resources. The kids won't eat it any way.

So what's a concerned parent to do? Barring becoming a famous chef who can muscle into your local school to make over the culinary offerings like Jamie Oliver, you may be limited to packing lunch for your kids. It will give you greater control and ensure that what is available is healthier, but it doesn't mean they'll eat it. As a kid, I remember many bagged lunches that, after a quick examination, immediately met the trash.

It's hard but not impossible. Yes, schools have a lot of influence over our kids, but so do we, the parents.  Preaching the gospel of good nutrition is a start, but actually presenting them with healthier options at home, and eating them yourself, is much more effective. Now that's a way to put weight behind your words.

—Erin Gudeux, sensory senior project leader 

Find out how to get your kids to adopt healthier eating habits, read about how local government can help prevent childhood obesity, and read more from Erin on how "Turning Into Your Mother Can Be Good For Your Health."