Despite challenges, schools push for healthier meals

Despite financial crunches, outdated federal standards and children who simply think vegetables are yucky, Long Island school food directors strive to make improvements.

Elwood's Delia Neitzel puts snacks in a separate room of the high school cafeteria, so students can't get them on the lunch line. In the elementary schools, a snack cart comes around only after kids have had time to eat their meals.

About five years ago she banned French fries as an a la carte item. Now kids get fries only when they're part of a standard meal. "Students freaked out," she said.

In 2005, fries were banned from all South Huntington cafeterias. "Even if they're baked, there's still a coating of oil," said food service director Charlie McTiernan, who removed fries despite complaints from students and parents.

"They got over it," he said. "I said if you really have to get your French fries, wait till 2:37 and walk over to McDonald's."

South Huntington has been featuring hash browns, which have less fat. But now McTiernan wants to replace those with roasted potatoes.

Each year Neitzel removes another snack item. So far, she's eliminated ice cream, Gatorade and nachos with cheese.

To help filter out junk food, many local districts have adopted some form of Choose Sensibly, a New York School Nutrition Association campaign with limits on fats, sodium and sugar for snack items.

West Babylon is the only Long Island district participating in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. The program is a partnership between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation with stricter guidelines for cafeteria snacks.

Snapple, SunnyD and Yoo-hoo no longer are allowed. Otis Spunkmeyer cookies are banned.

Southampton's school food director buys produce from local farmers despite the extra cost. Every Monday morning a pickup truck arrives, carrying crates of apples from Milk Pail, a farm in nearby Watermill.

As a school custodian wheels in four crates of Brayburns, Fujis and Gold Rushes, food service director Regan Kiembock compares costs: The Watermill apples are 30 to 33 cents apiece, while fruit purchased through a bidding process can cost as little as 14 cents.

Two to three times a year, Kiembock goes to the Zaluski farm stand in Watermill and loads her Ford Explorer with about 300 ears of corn.

"I'd like to do it more," she said. "It really is a cost factor, unfortunately."

Some directors make changes collectively. Eight districts formed a cooperative association in 1989 to increase purchasing power. Now the alliance has 38 members. Food service directors are responsible for certain bids. For example, one person is in charge of beverages, another handles bread.

"The costs were exorbitant," recalled Three Village's Lois Chait. "We needed to find a way school lunch programs could survive as a self-sustaining program."

Three Village saves $29,400 yearly on milk costs by being part of the co-op, Chait said last school year.

Banding together "is very innovative," said Tom Osterhout, director of food distribution and warehousing for the state Office of General Services.

His office awarded the co-op a $5,000 "best practices" award last year. The money will be used to buy new equipment for member districts. Osterhout said the co-op is seen as a model for districts in the lower Hudson and Buffalo areas.