School meals graded D

Thursday, Aug. 29, 2002 | 10:55 a.m.

A medical watchdog group has given a grade of D to the cafeteria fare in Clark County's elementary schools.

The Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine graded the nation's 10 largest school districts based on 15 days of sample menus. The food was judged on whether it met federal nutrition standards, the use of fruits and vegetables as side dishes and whether vegetarian and vegan entrees were offered.

The Clark County School District lost points for offering low-fat, vegetable side dishes on only seven of the 15 days sampled, according to the report. The district could improve its score by replacing meat-based Sloppy Joes with soy crumbles, or replacing hamburger patties with vegetable mixtures, the report said.

The Clark County School District's cafeterias feed more than 50,000 students each day, primarily at the elementary and middle school level. With 258,000 students at 277 campuses, it is a struggle to create menus that are both healthy and appetizing, said Barbara Leslie, coordinator of the district's food services division.

Leslie, who provided the 15 days of sample menus to the Washington-based physicians' group, said overall the district's food services deserve "An A-plus." Dried fruit bars and carrot sticks are regular features of school lunches, along with vegetable wrap sandwiches and calcium-fortified juice drinks, Leslie said.

"What we try and teach the kids is that there is no such thing as bad food," Leslie said. "We encourage a combination of choices, focusing on moderation and variety."

Of the 10 districts compared in the survey, the highest grade went to Broward County, Fla., which earned a B. School districts in Miami, Fairfax, Va., and New York earned C grades. Dallas and Los Angeles joined Clark County on the D-grade rung. Failing grades went to three districts -- Philadelphia, Detroit and Houston.

The poor grade for Clark County didn't surprise Diane Schramel, whose son attends Sig Rogich Middle School in Summerlin. Schrammel, a vocal critic of the district's food services operations, said too often cafeteria menus are laden with high-fat, high-calorie foods such as french fries and pizza.

"Children need good, nutritious meals and I don't believe they're getting them in Clark County," Schramel said.

At Vanderburg Elementary School in Henderson, parents said they were satisfied that the cafeteria meals were reasonably nutritious.

"You need to teach kids to try and eat healthy all the time, whether they're at home or at school or out with their friends," said John Lynch, who has two sons attending Vanderburg. "Lunch is just one meal of the day."

For lunch Wednesday, Vanderburg students dined on ham and cheese deli strips, pineapple, potatoes and chocolate brownies. First grader Danielle Zagby said she prefers to pack her own lunch at home, choosing a pepperoni on wheat sandwich, yogurt and juice.

Her brother, third grader Nicholas, usually buys the hot lunch because it means he will be more likely to get to sit with his friends. At Vanderburg, students who bring lunch from home file into the cafeteria seats first, while children buying the meal fill in the spaces as they move through the line.

Their mother, Denise Zagby, said she has studied the week's menu and noted the fruit, vegetables and milk items. As for the physician groups' report, Zagby said it seemed unfair to judge the district on whether it offered vegan entrees.

"How many children in Clark County are vegans?" Zagby asked. "There's no way the district can please everybody. At least they're trying to come up with healthy meals for the majority of the kids."