PCRM Reveals Healthiest US School Lunch Programs

The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine has issued a new report card revealing which schools across the US (a sample more than 20 districts) have the healthiest lunch programs, and which ones fail to provide adequate nutrition. Public school districts in Florida, Maryland, Tennessee, and Nebraska ranked highest, surpassing federal guidelines. Susan Levin, director of nutritional education at PCRM, praised the schools for offering healthy and tasty options including vegetarian chili and black bean burgers. The average grade was a B (84 percent), up five points from the 2008 national average. Districts in Houston, Milwaukee, and Davis County, UT failed to earn passing marks for serving students high-cholesterol meals such as chicken-fried steak fingers and pork nuggets.