Title: Food Prices Eat Up School Lunch - TIME
Headings: Food Prices Eat Up School Lunch
Food Prices Eat Up School Lunch
Content: Some 62% said they are also considering cutting staff. Inflationary prices will also likely affect the foods students find on their lunch trays come September. Because they are subsidized, schools must meet federal nutrition guidelines for what they can offer in cafeterias, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. But in recent years, many schools have worked hard to also include more low-calorie as well as organic and locally grown fare. Those options may disappear as schools struggle to lower their food bills. A serving of whole-grain bread, for instance, can cost as much as six cents more than a slice of white bread. Higher prices are also calling into question one of the staples of kiddie cafeterias. " Do we have to really offer milk with every breakfast and every lunch we serve?" Pavel Matustik, who runs nutrition programs for five school districts in southern California, asked during his testimony before Congress Wednesday. For every penny the price of milk goes up, he added, the cost of preparing school meals increases $54 million nationally.