BLOOMINGTON - Karen Collins, the cafeteria manager at Bloomington High School, had to put up with a lot of grief from students when the size of the "big cookie" was reduced. | Fit Kids page | Students lean on each other to get fit

It was one of the changes in portion sizes at Bloomington District 87 schools that were part of an ongoing effort to meet state and federal guidelines for healthy meals in the well-publicized national battle against obesity - while teaching students about portion sizes and food choices.

When students asked why their cookies had shrunk, Collins jokingly told them, "The state thinks I'm making you fat."

All kidding aside, Collins said lunches provided at District 87 schools are healthy and meet all nutrition guidelines: Anyone sticking strictly to school lunches and following the same pattern at home would have the right ingredients to maintain proper body weight, she said, noting that being physically active also is important.

That's one reason why kids at Unit 5's Parkside Junior High School have access to the gym after lunch so they can get in a little exercise.

Vicki Buerkett, head of physical education and health at the school, said there is no doubt obesity among students has increased in her 28-year school career.

"The trend to overweight children is phenomenal," said Buerkett, noting the numbers have increased dramatically over the last 5 to 10 years.

In her physical education classes, she gets students moving: They start with walking, then running and increase the amount of running as they go.

For many students, it seems they've become accustomed to the nutrition changes, such as new portion sizes.

"The cookies taste just as good," said John Lawrence, a BHS junior.

The big picture

Local school efforts have been recognized nationally: Bloomington Junior High School was named one of 25 America's Healthiest Student Bodies in 2007 as part of a Got Milk? Milk Mustache Campaign contest.

Promoting healthy eating and lifestyles also is the focus of The Pantagraph's Fit Kids, a nearly year-long initiative dedicated to identifying and highlighting common-sense approaches to preventing childhood obesity and developing healthier lifestyles for kids and their parents.

Reducing portion sizes, offering more fruits and vegetables, and user-friendly packaging have improved Twin City school meals, according to school food experts. There also are more foods with lower fat content, less sugar and higher fiber content that match federal guidelines.

Even most kids have good things to say about school lunches today.

"It's great - pretty much what I like (to eat)," said Alex Roberts an eighth-grade student at Parkside, as he sat with friends at a recent lunch.

Matt Cook, a vegetarian, said he can easily find meatless food he likes. The Parkside sixth-grader usually chooses the cold lunch. "It's not really hard to find (something)," said Cook, of Bloomington.

Salad bars, offered with most Twin City school lunch programs today, are popular with a growing number of vegetarians, said Pat Powers, a registered dietitian and food service director for Normal-based Unit 5.

Less sugary cereals, yogurt, 100 percent juice and bottled water also are favorite choices with students for breakfast or lunch, said Theresa Sanders, food services manager at Parkside.

But healthy food doesn't come cheap. School food directors must provide fresh produce and other healthy choices while staying within school budgets.

To help with costs, District 87 joined a purchasing co-op with 11 other schools about the same size in 1995. It was so successful, participation has more than tripled to 58 schools.

Powers said manufacturers also have been creative is producing foods that meet school nutrition needs that are affordable.

Connie Mueller, a registered dietitian and director of food and nutrition services for District 87, is a strong advocate of offering a variety of choices - not taking all the old favorites away, but instead encouraging certain foods, and having small amounts of others.

"For 30 years we've been saying what not to eat," she said. "We need to figure out ways to have a positive approach to improving dietary habits," Mueller said.

Source of obesity

School lunch programs can't be blamed for the increasing problem of obesity among young people, said local school officials.

For one thing, lunches only make up about 18 percent of a young person's food intake. The rest of the time, students and families make other food choices, said Mueller.

Still, one contribution schools can make to health is teaching proper portion sizes, said Mueller, a member of the Illinois School Wellness Task Force. Super-sized servings in restaurants can get young people off track.

Trimming the size of Rice Krispie squares and brownies to two-inch squares and downsizing cookies was "one of the biggest teaching moments," she said. Fruits and vegetable servings are now in half-cup serving sizes. "It has been well-received," she said.

And, communication about food goes both ways.

"We do a lot of student taste tests at schools," Mueller said. "They love being asked" - and what kids say affects menus.

Spicy chicken and whole grain pizza crust were among the samples students taste tested. Collins said students protested loudly when the cheese was changed, and it was switched back.

Sometimes, Collins isn't convinced about a change.

She recalled being skeptical five years ago when Mueller put an end to cooked vegetables. Collins thought students wouldn't eat enough vegetables, but more students eat freshly packaged raw vegetables than they did cooked ones, she said.

Packaging alone can encourage healthy choices, added Collins. Switching from cardboard milk cartons to clear plastic milk bottles increased milk consumption at BHS by 40 percent. Consumption of fresh fruits also jumped considerably when they were served in clear, closed containers so students could see what they were getting.

Strawberries, peaches, applesauce and oranges were abundant on student's trays at a recent visit to the school.

"Everybody eats with their eyes," Collins said.

Keeping track

Parents have an obvious role in helping their children eat properly.

Some do that through the computerized tracking systems available at schools.

"My parents like to see what my brother and I get," said Dylan Eichelberger, a sixth-grader at Parkside. He said he chooses what he likes, and usually it is healthy.

While some parents keep an eye on nutrition, others use it as a tool to know how much money is being spent on lunches.

Schools offer some leniency and make some arrangements for children who don't have lunch money. Collins makes sure BHS students don't go hungry. Arrangements are made.

"We find the money," Collins said.

"I want to provide a nutritious meal to every child," Mueller added. "There's no difference between what students getting a free or reduced-price lunch and what others receive."

---

Numbers to munch on

360 The number of servings of pasta served during three lunch periods in 75 minutes at Bloomington High School

320 The number of servings of spicy chicken served at BHS during lunch

315 The number of servings of fruit, including sliced peaches, oranges and strawberries

65 The approximate percentage increase of fruit and vegetable consumption in recent years at BHS - due in part to more appealing packaging

40 the percentage increase of milk consumption when clear plastic bottles replaced milk cartons at BHS