CITY SCHOOLS MARK NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH WEEK; CAFETERIA DOORS OPEN TO PARENTS, OTHERS FOR LUNCH

Cape Girardeau public schools, like schools across the country, are working to provide more nutritious meals for students.

Lisa Elfrink, director of food services, said steps are being taken to lower fat, lower salt and lower sugar in school lunches.

This week is National School Lunch Week. Cape Girardeau school cafeterias have opened their doors to the public, inviting parents, Board of Education members and school administrators to eat lunch with students.

The national lunch program, now 45 years old, has evolved into one of the nation's largest food-service operations. The program serves over 22.5 million lunches and 4.1 million breakfasts each day.

Each day, Cape Girardeau public schools serve 2,200 lunches. "For many of our children, their school lunch is the one big meal of the day," Elfrink said. "We want to see they get as much nutrition as possible."

Over the past decade, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service the agency that administers the feeding programs has made an effort to fine tune school lunches to conform with the latest dietary guidelines.

USDA commodity fruits that once were packed in heavy syrup are now available in light syrup or natural juices; tuna fish is packed in water rather than oil; Lean hamburger with only 10 percent fat is being tested in schools across the country. Regular ground beef and canned pork supplied by the USDA average 20 percent fat.

Elfrink said: "We have cut down on the fat and the salt. We have leaner ground beef. We're trying to cut down on sugar but kids really like sweets. We still give them cookies.

"We recommend that children take the 2 percent milk, but we are required to offer whole milk also."

She said recipes from the USDA have been changed to cut down on the amount of salt and fat.

In an effort to encourage more students to eat lunch at school, Elfrink said, some changes have been made over the last couple of years.

"We adopted a policy to offer at least two entree choices every day," she said.

Other changes include offering salads and cold sandwiches at the secondary level. At the high school, a salad bar and potato bar have been instituted to offer students nutritious options.

Last spring May Greene Elementary School embarked on a pilot breakfast program. Elfrink said more than 60 percent of students at the school are eating breakfast.

"We are hoping to expand that program to at least one other elementary school, and maybe districtwide," she said.

She said the school lunch program also offers an opportunity to discuss good nutrition with students. "Hopefully they will receive some education and awareness of good nutrition and take that home with them."

Elementary lunches cost $1 and secondary lunches cost $1.10 for an entree, vegetable, fruit and milk.

"It's definitely a good value," Elfrink said.