Annual Nutrition Report Card Awards Only One A; D.C. Public Schools Get an F

“With childhood obesity one of the nation’s most serious health concerns, kids need less junk food in the schools,” says Jen Keller, R.D., PCRM’s nutrition projects coordinator. “In Detroit, the school lunches went from an F in 2002 to an A this year, and that means those kids are getting fewer greasy chicken nuggets and more cholesterol-free, low-fat, fruits, vegetables, and vegetarian entrées. School districts such as Los Angeles have been slow to learn and need to follow Detroit’s lead if we are going to combat alarmingly high rates of childhood diabetes and incipient heart disease.”

PCRM’s nutrition department graded the nutritional quality of the elementary school lunches served in 18 of the largest U.S. school districts participating in the federally assisted National School Lunch Program. The program is operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Here are the results:

Founded in 1985, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is a nonprofit health organization that promotes preventive medicine, conducts clinical research,and encourages higher standards for ethics and effectiveness in research.