Lunch Line

For many students, the cafeteria bell produces visions of long lines, hair nets and perfectly molded, ice cream scoop servings of starchy, lackluster food. But as the nation renews a focus on nutrition, several inspired school districts are dismissing this grade school nightmare with higher ideals for the standard school lunch.

In its quest to nurture both young minds and bodies, the Berkeley Unified School District passed in 1999 a food program policy designed to provide a healthy meal to each of its 10,000 students--a meal in which the nutritional content far outweighs the chemical. Integral to this 12-point plan is the phase-out of bovine growth hormones and genetically engineered ingredients, and the incorporation of locally grown, organic foods.

Want the full story? Subscribers may log in here Subscribe to E (immediate access to this and all other content) Free Trial Issue (immediate access to this and all other content) Order This Back Issue