Schools by now should be serving leaner meat, low-fat dairy, less sodium and whole grains. Help your district get dollars with these grants.

By now, your kids’ school lunchroom should be following the government’s new guidelines for serving students less fat, leaner protein, lower sodium and grains that are whole.  Teensy problem, however, in that most lunchrooms are not equipped to prepare fresh and healthy food.

In Florida, over 42 percent of schools don’t have food processors, which means that cafeteria staff have to cut and chop and cut and chop and it’s just not efficient, according to a report from The Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project. Food processors can cleanly slice and dice in seconds. But to supply the state’s schools with those appliances would cost $1.4 million.  

In Pennsylvania – as in many states – over 40 percent of schools don’t have the serving utensils that can accurately dish up appropriate portion sizes. It’s a problem that can double or triple the designated calorie counts. And while the solution is simple, it would run taxpayers $400,000. Other common school cafeteria crises: a lack of walk-in freezers, no chilled serving line containers for fruits and salads, utility carts to transport items around cafeterias, and a lack of industrial scales for measuring. 

The fix: The government is trying to help, in 2014 giving $25 million in grants and in 2015, giving $35 million in grants. To apply for money, you have to click here to find your state agency. They’re supposed to have instructions on how you can secure your dollars. If you call and get the run around, are put on hold, or are transferred to a professional who has no idea what you’re talking about, please let us know. We have some concerns about the program – mainly that schools are required to monitor themselves – and are happy to open this up for public discussion.