by Dan Simon

A parent-volunteer ladles soup outside a classroom. ©GreenWorks photo by Dan Simon

Getting kids to eat healthy appears to be a manageable task for at least one Pennsylvania school. A parent initiated organic lunch program at the Kimberton Waldorf school in Kimberton, Penn., is giving its students a choice of an organic vegetarian meal instead of the normal school cafeteria fare, and more than half of the school's students regularly chose the healthier fare.

"This is our seventh year," said Jennifer Keogh, one of two parents managing the program. "There were three parents who got together serving pizza one day, and then they added another day and another day. Now we're up to five meals. We've been serving a grain based vegetarian lunch each time."

The program tries to offer a "rhythm to the week's meals, Keough said.

"Monday is pasta, Tuesday we try something new, Wednesday is soup, Thursday is an ethnic meal and Friday is sandwiches," she said. "It's not mandatory, you order the lunch. There are many children who don't like the food and don't order it. We serve about 220 students and faculty out of about 340 participating in this on a regular basis — it's good food."

Parent-volunteers prepare lunches in the school's cafeteria, aided by a small school lunch staff. ©GreenWorks photo by Dan Simon

The school, which is located in a pastoral setting about an hour away from Philadelphia, has its own gardening teacher and two-acre garden. In addition, there's an organic dairy across the street and a nearby organic farm market that makes it possible for the program to get the foods it needs fairly easily. While the school garden doesn't yet supply any vegetables for the lunch program, much of its produce is sent home with students.
Lunch program meals are made just like mothers used to make.

"It's almost all whole foods, no mixes," Keough said. "Nothing comes out of a bag. It's almost all organic. We make cakes from scratch, just like you would do it at home.

"Our basic philosophy is we're a bunch of parents making lunch for our kids just as you would at home, and it takes a good amount of us to get it ready."

The vegetarian lunches usually include a main dish, a bread made from scratch and fruits, nuts and seeds. ©GreenWorks photo by Dan Simon

One benefit for the parent-volunteers — besides the fact that their kids are eating right that is — is younger students eat in their classrooms, so a parent can get even more involved.

"This is a great place to be," she said. "The food is really good, and especially for the parents of new students, this is a great place to meet.

"It's fun, the children are fed in their classrooms (lower classes up to grade five) so if you're a parent you get to go into their classrooms and feed them."