School lunches

Think your kid isn't tempted by junk food while at school? A study finds that about half of kids surveyed from public and private school had ready access to vending machines, snack bars, school stores and a la carte lines. And they're not just selling carrot sticks.

The study, released Monday in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, looked at the foods children had access to at various spots on campus during lunch time, in what they termed "competitive venues."

LOS ANGELES -- It's lunchtime at Van Nuys High School and students stream into the cafeteria to check out the day's fare: black bean burgers, tostada salad, fresh pears and other items on a new healthful menu introduced this year by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

But Iraides Renteria and Mayra Gutierrez don't even bother to line up. Renteria said the school food previously made her throw up, and Gutierrez calls it "nasty, rotty stuff." So what do they eat? The juniors pull three bags of Flamin' Hot Cheetos and soda from their backpacks.

"This is our daily lunch," Iraides says. "We're eating more junk food now than last year."

For many students, L.A. Unified's trailblazing introduction of healthful school lunches has been a flop. Earlier this year, the district got rid of chocolate and strawberry milk, chicken nuggets, corn dogs, nachos and other food high in fat, sugar and sodium. Instead, district chefs concocted such healthful alternatives as vegetarian curries and tamales, quinoa salads and pad thai noodles.

Parents don't always have the best habits when it comes to packing healthy school lunches.

"There are lots of ways to make things more varied, fun and colorful," says Jennifer Shea, a Boston-based dietitian who works with several grocery chains. Here are some don'ts:

MORGAN -- For the first time, the Morgan County School District will offer a breakfast program.

The program will be a trial run only at Morgan Elementary School this upcoming school year. The program would be open to the entire student body for $1.25 a meal.

OGDEN -- The summer free-lunch program for children up to age 18 begins Monday in most local school districts.

At schools where 50 percent or more students were eligible for free or reduced lunches during the school year, the meals continue through most of the summer. All local school districts except Morgan have schools that qualify.

"It's so students can have something to eat when school is out," said Charlene King, child nutrition coordinator for the Weber School District. "It's open to anyone 18 or younger, and it's because of the importance of good nutrition."