School gets food smart, cuts fat

The Toronto Star, LOUISE BROWN, EDUCATION REPORTER, Dec. 1, 2003

Blame the Poutine Police, they pulled the artery-choking Canuck concoction off the school menu and replaced it with carrots and juice.

Horrified at what pre-teens were ordering for lunch last year at North York's Bayview Middle School plate after plate of fries, cheese curds and gravy, washed down with a cola a group of mothers decided to fight the fatty food.

Six months later, they have changed the menu, won a public health award and have turned the kids into nutrition nuts.

"It's great. We can get Caesar salad and noodle soup, which I love and they're healthy," said Grade 6 student Aliza Ruvolo.

Grade 8 student Yajurvin Govindraj agreed, "I like the Caesar salad and chicken burgers and I don't miss the poutines. They were too salty for me anyway."

Now, as Queen's Park considers banning pop and junk food from schools, this pilot project could be a sign of what's to come.

The Grade 6-to-8 school near Bayview and Sheppard Aves. has become the first in Toronto to win the Eat Smart Award from the city's public health department, normally granted to restaurants for offering a balance of wholesome foods.

The cafeteria cooks have been trained in healthy choices, like whole wheat bagels, cereal bars, fruit juice and homemade soups. Students have started a healthy cooking club. The school will launch a new family breakfast program this week. Kids have painted murals about healthy living.

The two pop machines have been restocked to carry 75 per cent juices and water, and only 25 per cent pop.

The school is planning a healthy food festival next week, with community chefs demonstrating everything from sushi and bruschetta to homemade soup and snacks.

And there's not a smothered cheese curd in the building.

"We were absolutely the Poutine Police. I almost had a heart attack just thinking something that unhealthy was being offered at school," said Carol Knowlton-Dority, whose daughter Alyssa is in Grade 7.

Before the nutritional overhaul, there were 20 flavours of potato chips by the cash register. There was no milk on display; no juice in the vending machines. There were chocolate bars at eye level.

But in a stroke of good timing, the Toronto Public Health Department was deciding to expand its four-year-old Eat Smart promotion of balanced, healthy menus to schools, and Bayview Middle School became the test site.

Even the catering company was up for the change and now says it wants to bring healthy eating to Read More .. the 45 Toronto schools it serves.

"No question, removing the poutines was an issue at first because they're one of our mainstays; they're what many young customers want," said district supervisor Carol Barrie.

But the loss in poutine profit has been offset by soaring soup and salad sales, as well as the fact Read More ..achers now buy food from the lunchroom.

"We've gone from 2 per cent of our staff buying their lunch here to 90 per cent because it's so healthy," said principal Steve Howard.

"What we're really doing is showing kids how to make healthy choices, which is a skill they will use all their lives."

Among those choices is a $3.99 low-fat entre, plus vegetable and salad.

There is also a $3.99 combo special, from which kids can choose one entre pizza, chicken nuggets, hamburger, pasta and two sides, which range from french fries to carrot sticks, salad or soup. There are now pretzels as well as potato chips; mashed potatoes as well as fries, said Barrie.