Authored by Aaron Gifford via The Epoch Times,
In Cleveland, new students at several schools across the city were pleasantly surprised by their cafeteria last month.
A shiny new buffet counter with locally sourced produce and a variety of cold meats and eggs replaced packaged salads with wilted lettuce, bland-looking vegetables, and minimal protein. Cilantro-lime rice made with just five ingredients has also been a popular choice lately, said Robert Gorman, executive director of nutrition services for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
"We're getting back to the basics," he told The Epoch Times. "If there's a will, there's a way. If you want to serve locally, you can."
Public schools in Santa Fe, New Mexico, also have salad bars with local fruits and vegetables, plus beef from a nearby ranch included in the hamburgers, Frito pies, and Bolognese pasta sauce, said Diana Tarasiewicz, the district's student nutrition director.
Both districts received support from the Colorado-based Chef Ann Foundation, which works with school leaders to replace ultra-processed foods with whole ingredients.
The Make America Healthy Again federal Harvest to Hallways initiative, announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services just ahead of the current semester, will allow these districts and thousands of others to improve school nutrition and connect with local farmers for years to come.
The bipartisan Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act, meanwhile, might see action
