Doctors Name Healthiest School Lunches in United States
Schools in California, Florida, New Mexico, New Jersey, and Georgia Take Top Honors; Vegetarian Items Available Daily on All Menus
WASHINGTON—“Mystery
meat” is losing ground
to fruits, vegetables, and
low-fat vegetarian meals. It’s
National School Lunch Week,
and the Physicians Committee
for Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
announces the winners of its
2006 “Golden Carrot Awards” for
innovation in school food service.
The grand prize went to Irmgard
James, food service director
at Oak Grove School in Ojai,
Calif. Four second-place
prizes went to food service professionals
in Albuquerque, Atlanta, Morristown,
N.J., and Pinellas County,
Fla.
PCRM established the Golden
Carrot Awards in 2004 to recognize
food service professionals
doing an exceptional job of
improving the healthfulness
of school lunches. PCRM looks
for programs that encourage
kids to eat lots of fresh fruits
and vegetables and that offer
plenty of vegetarian, low-fat,
whole grain, and nondairy options.
Children who are raised on
a healthy vegetarian diet have
a lower risk of obesity, heart
disease, stroke, diabetes,
and some cancers compared with
those who grow up on an average
American diet.
This year’s Golden Carrot
winners:
- Irmgard
James won the
grand prize for the creative
food service program she
runs at Oak Grove School
in Ojai, Calif. James will
win $1,500; the school will
receive $3,500. Oak Grove
School serves only vegetarian
food, and students enjoy
fresh fruit platters and
a salad bar with raw and
steamed vegetables.
- Gray
Miller, food service
director for the Pinellas
County School District in
Florida, won a $500 second
prize for making major strides
toward improving student
health by serving more vegetarian
meals and emphasizing fruits
and vegetables.
- Judy
Mancici, food service
director at the Unity Charter
School in Morristown, N.J.,
won a $500 second prize.
The school serves only vegetarian
meals, and students participate
in planting and harvesting
vegetables in the school’s
garden.
- JoAnne
DeShields, food
service director at Grady
High School in Atlanta, won
a $500 second prize. Grady
High School offers the “Creations
Line,” an
all-vegetarian lunch line
featuring such healthy options
as garden burgers, quesadillas
with Mexican rice, and vegetarian
spaghetti.
- Laura
Gilbert, food service
director at Albuquerque Academy
in New Mexico, won a $500
second prize for serving
up high-fiber, low-fat vegetarian
entrées
such as portabella fajitas
and cheeseless veggie garden
pizza.
For more information about
any of the Golden Carrot winners,
please contact Patrick Sullivan
at 202-686-2210, ext. 311,
or psullivan@pcrm.org.
Founded in 1985, the Physicians
Committee for Responsible
Medicine (PCRM) is a nonprofit
organization that promotes
preventive medicine, conducts
clinical research, and encourages
higher standards for ethics
and effectiveness in research.
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