Free for All: Fixing School Food in America PDF
Preview Free for All: Fixing School Food in America
Free for All Poppendieck-Pages.indb 1 9/10/09 2:17:01 PM CAliForniA StudieS in Food And Culture Darra Goldstein, Editor Poppendieck-Pages.indb 2 9/10/09 2:17:01 PM Free For All Fixing School Food in AmericA Janet Poppendieck UniverSity oF cAliForniA PreSS Berkeley los Angeles london Poppendieck-Pages.indb 3 9/10/09 2:17:01 PM University of California Press, one of the most distin- guished university presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Its activ- ities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by philanthropic contributions from individuals and institu- tions. For more information, visit www.ucpress.edu. University of California Press Berkeley and Los Angeles, California University of California Press, Ltd. London, England © 2010 by The Regents of the University of California Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Poppendieck, Janet, 1945–. Free for all : fixing school food in America / Janet Poppendieck. p. cm. — (California studies in food and culture; 28) Includes bibliographical references and index. isbn 978-0-520-24370-5 (cloth : alk. paper) 1. National school lunch program. 2. School break- fast programs—United States. 3. School children— Food—United States. 4. Children—Nutrition—United States. I. Title. II. Title: Fixing school food in America. lb3479.u6p55 2010 371.7'160973—dc22 2009015369 Manufactured in the United States of America 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 This book is printed on Cascades Enviro 100, a 100% post consumer waste, recycled, de-inked fiber. FSC recy- cled certified and processed chlorine free. It is acid free, Ecologo certified, and manufactured by BioGas energy. Poppendieck-Pages.indb 4 9/10/09 2:17:01 PM For my daughter, Amanda Poppendieck-Pages.indb 5 9/10/09 2:17:01 PM This Page Left Intentionally Blank Poppendieck-Pages.indb 6 9/10/09 2:17:01 PM Contents Acknowledgments ix Introduction: In Search of School Food 1 1. School Food 101 26 2. Food Fights: A Brief History 46 3. Penny Wise, Pound Foolish: What’s Driving the Menu? 84 4. How Nutritious Are School Meals? 111 5. The Missing Millions: Problems of Participation 133 6. Hunger in the Classroom: Problems of Access 161 7. Free, Reduced Price, Paid: Unintended Consequences 190 8. Local Heroes: Fixing School Food at the Community Level 222 Conclusion: School Food at the Crossroads 257 Notes 297 Bibliography 333 Index 343 Poppendieck-Pages.indb 7 9/10/09 2:17:01 PM This Page Left Intentionally Blank Poppendieck-Pages.indb 8 9/10/09 2:17:01 PM Acknowledgments I am grateful to the many people who have helped me along the jour- ney represented by this book. First, I want to thank the food service director and staff at the school I call Any Town High School, who must remain anonymous. Your generosity and candor were essential to help- ing me understand the realities of school food. And so were the time and insights of all of the people that I interviewed—food service staff, legislators, advocates, innovators, parents, teachers, administrators, stu- dents, and the staff and leadership of the School Nutrition Association. Very busy people with many demanding responsibilities took time to teach me about school food. I interviewed many more people than I quoted, so not all of you will find your names in these pages, but rest assured that you all contributed to my understanding. Between me and the people I interviewed, there were often inter- mediaries, people who helped me find the folks who could tell me the real story. In this role, I particularly want to thank Mark Winne, Bernie Beaudreau, Bill Flynn, Dorigen Keeney, Frank Fear, Jonathan Osorio, Joyce Lowry, Toni Liquori, Matt Sharp, Ken Hecht, Martha Lee, Sandy Sheedy, and, in Sweden, Annika Wesslen. Librarians at Hunter College and the University of California, Santa Cruz were unfailingly helpful, and the staff of the wonderful Child Nutrition Archives at the National Food Service Management Institute steered me toward many useful sources in my brief time there. I am also grateful to the staff at USDA who answered my many questions ix Poppendieck-Pages.indb 9 9/10/09 2:17:02 PM
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