The School Lunch Program is a national disgrace. Motivated by lobbying forces, it's a dairy and meat oriented program which provides children with high-fat, low-fiber, high-sugar meals. Hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and French fries are common menu items. In some districts, the Program allows fast food restaurants to serve lunch in the schools, assuring that the children eat the worst possible food.

Happily, other districts are concerned about the nutritional value of the food the children are eating and they are trying to modify the program so it is healthier. These schools are setting up salad bars and offering fresh fruits, pastas, and vegetables.

The truth is that the School Lunch Program is fueled by the surplus foods of the dairy and meat industries. Our children are being fed high-fat, high-sodium meals that are sure to slow them down, clog their arteries, and set bad eating habit they'll have for life. To add to the disgrace, hot foods sit in school cafeterias for hours on steam tables which can destroy any vitamin content they might have had.

As parents, we must take a stand and change the program by refusing to allow our children to participate. Even the simplest lunch of an almond butter sandwich on whole wheat bread, an apple, and a glass of water is better than what is being served in the name of nutrition. It's time for parents to do some lobbying of our own!