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New York Coalition for Healthy School Food (NYCHSF) Supports Governor Paterson's Healthy Schools Act Bill - Plant-Based Entrees on the Menu Offer Healthy Alternative

Posted on: Tuesday, 7 April 2009, 16:43 CDT

MAMARONECK, N.Y., April 7 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Move over deep-fried chicken nuggets and mozzarella sticks, cheeseburgers, and pizza and make room for plant-based meat alternatives. Governor Paterson's Healthy Schools Act announced on April 3 will require New York State schools to offer, as a healthy option, plant-based meat alternatives in addition to the meat and cheese entrees that currently dominate school menus.

The bill is in response to the burgeoning issue of childhood obesity and poor health. According to the bill, "schools can influence children's nutrition and food choices by serving as model environments that support academic performance and healthful behaviors." The legislation will also address many other aspects of school food, not just meals, including nutrition guidelines and wellness policies.

The NYCHSF has already proven that children enjoy plant-based entrees with their ground breaking pilot programs at two NY schools. School Food Service Director Chris Wallace says that "At the Severn Elementary School, we are already implementing what the legislation is suggesting; we offer a delicious, healthy, unprocessed, whole food plant-based entree every day with nutrition education, encouragement, and positive marketing. We have made great inroads in acceptability and excitement with no detriment to the school food program; rather it is a value added component." The healthy menu from Severn Elementary School in Corning can be viewed here: www.corningareaschools.com/lunch/severn.html

Many schools already understand that they should offer fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains. Some schools are lowering the fat content of their milk and offer non-dairy alternatives to accommodate those that avoid milk. Yet the component of the meal that has been essentially ignored is the entree. This is because schools only have about 90 cents in food costs to spend per five-component lunch, approximately 20 cents of which is in the form of federal commodity foods. Lunch entrees are heavily dependent on these commodities. The top 4 commodities used in NYS include: beef, cheese, chicken and white potato products.

Plant-based entrees are free of cholesterol, low in saturated fat, and low in total fat if added oil is limited. They are high in fiber and phyto-nutrients.

In New York City, NYCHSF works in partnership with the NYC Office of SchoolFood. Children at Future Leaders Institute Charter School, PS 242, and Harlem Link enjoy a plant-based option twice per week that is prepared by a chef from the award-winning restaurant Candle 79. "We have made great progress in City public schools since 2004 when we initiated healthier choices, by replacing white bread with whole wheat," said Jorge Collazo, executive chef of NYC Office of SchoolFood. "Today, we offer salad bars in high schools and more fresh and frozen vegetables, including plant-based entrees, and we have eliminated trans fats to ensure students get nutritious and delicious meals."

In 2004, the New York Legislature unanimously passed a resolution written by NYCHSF and introduced by Senator LaValle from Long Island and Assemblyman Ortiz from Brooklyn. This resolution encouraged schools to offer a plant-based entree for the benefit of all children.

The New York Coalition for Healthy School Food (NYCHSF) is a statewide nonprofit that works to improve the health and well-being of New York's students by advocating for healthy plant-based foods, including local and organic where possible, farm to school programs, the elimination of unhealthy competitive foods in all areas of the school (not just the cafeteria), comprehensive nutrition policy, and education to create food- and health-literate students.

For more information contact Amie Hamlin or visit www.healthyschoolfood.org.

SOURCE New York Coalition for Healthy School Food

Source: PR Newswire

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