Slow Foodies say it’s time for change in school lunches

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Yesterday, more than 300 Eat-Ins were hosted across the country to rally for a redesign of the Child Nutrition Act, which is up for reauthorization by Congress on Sept. 30.

There were seven official public potlucks held here in Los Angeles, where eaters and activists converged to voice a call for major reform of the way our nation’s children are fed at school.

‘We were blown away by the response,’ said Jerusha Klemperer, program manager for Slow Food USA. According to Klemperer, an estimated 20,000 eaters showed up for the Labor Day events.

The Eat-Ins were an act of support for the Slow Food USA Time for Lunch policy platform, which suggests that the government make some crucial changes to the National School Lunch Program, which is governed by the Child Nutrition Act.

The reform calls for:

-- $1 more per child per day to help pay for more fruits, vegetables and whole grains

-- funding grants for educational initiatives such as school garden projects that encourage healthy eating habits

-- establishing higher standards in all facets of student’s daytime diets, including elimination of fast food and unhealthy vending machine items

-- incentives to encourage schools to buy local produce

According to Slow Food LA’s Twitter, the Time for Lunch petition has reached 20,000 signatures online and 10,000 more on paper. The petition is here.

-- Krista Simmons