LI officials: New rules mean healthier meals

New federal school food standards will push all Long Island schools to serve more nutritionally sound meals -- even districts that already offer healthy menu items in their cafeterias, local officials said Thursday.

To meet new nutrition requirements announced this week, the federal reimbursement to schools for children's lunches will increase by 6 cents per meal -- the first such increase in 30 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. The new standards could mean that students pay more for school lunches.

"We may want to raise the prices for meals, but there is also an argument that it is in everybody's best interest that our students are eating well," said Michael DeVito, chief operating officer for the Long Beach school district, where lunches cost $2.25 for elementary students and $2.50 for middle and high school students.

The new standards require most schools to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free and low-fat milk in school meals; reduce the levels of sodium, saturated fat and trans fat; and meet nutrition needs of schoolchildren within their calorie requirements. The standards will be largely phased in over three years, starting in the 2012-13 school year, and are expected to cost $3.2 billion over the next five years.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) was among those who pushed for the healthier standards, the first time in 15 years that school-meal requirements have been raised.

"I fought hard for these new guidelines in the child nutrition reauthorization," she said in a statement. "We are at a critical crossroads in combating both childhood hunger and obesity, and I will continue to fight to provide more access for more kids to healthy school meals."

The Long Beach district has been taking steps to foster healthy eating. This year, the district piloted using a fruit vending machine that dispenses slices of fresh fruit to students. The district also offers a salad bar for students.

"Financially, it is more expensive and we are having a tough time with costs, because we are using fresh fruit and we do make some scratch items," DeVito said. "But it is important to have higher quality products for students."

The West Babylon district uses whole grains for its breads and rolls, and offers only low-fat milk. The district's schools also serve whole wheat pasta and brown rice, said food service director Adrianne Goldenbaum.

She expects the district to increase its servings of vegetables and fruits, from one-half cup to a full cup, as the standards require. Students there also may end up paying more for school meals as the district, along with others on Long Island, feels the squeeze of increased health insurance and retirement costs for workers.

"Most of our meal costs are spent on labor," Goldenbaum said.

Russell Stewart, superintendent of Center Moriches schools, said that less salt and fats for schoolchildren is "looking out for the health of the next generation.

"I always have concerns about cost," he said. "But when you talk about health, the health of our children is priceless."

Nancy Huehnergarth, executive director of the New York State Healthy Eating and Physical Activity Alliance, said several schools are instituting the measures and the federal action will be a "kick in the pants" to schools where nutritional standards have lagged.

"It took a long time for us to get here to improve school meals . . . and this is a huge step forward," she said.