Healthier District 211 lunches draw USDA attention

A VIP's visit to Palatine High School Friday provided the U.S. Department of Agriculture with useful information toward the evolution of national nutrition guidelines, and positive reinforcement for Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 in its efforts to meet them.

School districts had to decide this year whether to adapt to new USDA guidelines that require serving healthier meals, to continue to be eligible for federal funding. Some districts, like Northwest Suburban High School District 214, dropped out, worried that kids wouldn't buy the meals and food would be wasted. District 211, however, stuck with the federal program.

USDA Food & Nutrition Service Administrator Audrey Rowe spoke with school officials and students themselves about changes recently undertaken to make healthier food more attractive.

"I think the most useful thing I learned today was talking to the students," Rowe said. "They're my customers."

District 211's meal sales are actually up this year, but not every student loves the changes.

Senior Jaye Reynolds of Palatine was especially displeased by the absence of a la carte options in the cafeteria, and suspicious that money, rather than nutrition, is driving the changes.

"Is it less expensive to get food like this?" he asked Rowe. "This can be a money thing as well."

"I guarantee you, the last thing this is about is money," Rowe told him.

Sitting at the lunch table with Reynolds and other students, Rowe said the changing USDA guidelines are based on a lot of conversations at the national level, about such things as rising obesity rates and the perceived risk of too much sodium. The eating and health habits you make in high school, she told them, often stay with you you're whole life.

"What I am worried about is that your life expectancy is going to be shorter than your parents, due to bad eating,' Rowe told students.

Senior Blanca Hernandez of Palatine said she, too, dislikes the smaller number of options students have this year.

Rowe said manufacturers are already beginning to respond to changing USDA guidelines and the rise of programs like District 211's. She added that she's slowly discovering new chips and other items that she likes and would be comfortable seeing on menus.

"We're going to listen to you. We're going to find out what the balance is," Rowe promised the students.

Still, Rowe said, getting school nutrition right is going to be a gradual process that will extend beyond her own tenure.

After lunch period, Rowe laughed with school officials about the frank but necessary feedback she got from the students.

"It doesn't work for us if you don't hear that perspective," she said. "When you get to high school, you're getting the unvarnished truth."

Principal Gary Steiger joked that he wished Rowe hadn't seen the Domino's Pizza truck pulling up in front of the school just as she arrived. But as Palatine High School is an open campus, he said he'd just as soon see the outside food choices come to the kids.

District 211 Superintendent Dan Cates said while more meals are being sold, revenue is down overall due to cookies, candy and Cheetos no longer being sold.

Palatine High School was likely chosen as the location of Rowe's visit because it tried a pilot program of healthier meals even before this year, Cates said. As well, more than half the students at Palatine and Hoffman Estates high schools are on the free and reduced lunch program.

Cates said he understands why other districts feared the healthier menu would not be popular, but he's happy with District 211's choice.

"What we believe is the standards allow us to serve more real food to more students," Cates said. "If we prepare good food in good ways, we believe more meals will be served."

Friday's lunch choices at Palatine High School included a roasted veggie panini, potato popper bowl and biscuit, a cheeseburger or veggie burger, hot and spicy chicken tenders and biscuit, an all-beef hot dog and garlic cheese flatbread.

Students could also choose up to four sides with each dish, including corn, veggie sticks, mashed potatoes, salad, fruit and juice.