Oklahoma School Opens Doors to Local Co-Op for Healthier Lunches

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Fresh fruits and plenty of vegetable options will now be offered in Duncan Public Schools in Stephens County, Oklahoma (7.3% Latino) starting this school year, according to a local article.

The school is planning to continue following federal requirements on the menus but also plans to join a co-op of other school districts that will help the school save money and have greater purchasing power for healthier choices.

Children eat almost half of their daily calories at school, so it is important to offer healthier options like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

The school will allow children to not only have a fresh salad bar daily but also offer students two to three choices of vegetables and fresh fruits.

Researchers from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention have found that majority-black or majority-Latino schools were significantly less likely to offer fresh fruit (61.3%) than were predominantly white schools (87.8%).

Offering fresh vegetables and encouraging students to try new healthy foods at school is vital to ensuring Latino kids and all kids grow up to be a healthy weight.

To learn more about Latino kids and the need for healthier school food, click here.