Despite it all, we've come a long way in SFUSD cafeterias

October 15, 4:48 PMSF Education ExaminerCaroline Grannan

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  Someday lunch may look like this.

As much complaining as students, parents and school food advocates do about how we need better school food, as a gesture for National School Lunch Week, it’s worth looking at how far we’ve come in San Francisco schools.

Student Nutrition Director Ed Wilkins has worked incredibly hard to make improvements against overwhelming odds: serious shortages of funds and staffing, antiquated equipment and kitchens that no longer function, stubborn school site staff (principals, teachers etc.) who refuse to follow the federal rules despite the very serious threat of multimillion-dollar fines, and more.

Those obstacles put limits on what Ed can achieve, but it’s still heartening to take a look at what he has accomplished. Also, by the way, before Ed was promoted to run Student Nutrition, he was the staffer working on the 2003 pilot program at Aptos Middle School that first got rid of soda, potato chips, French fries and snack cakes and replaced them with 100% fruit juice, fresh deli sandwiches, and so forth.

Before Ed took over districtwide, the lunches were of the corn dog/french fries/apple turnover variety – carnival food -- and breakfast at the elementary schools was all cold cereal all the time. Here are some changes:

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• Lunches now include healthy whole grains like brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and whole wheat pizza crust.
•  The bread is whole grain, including the buns for burgers and hot dogs.
•  The chicken entrees (nuggets, tenders, etc.) are made with whole pieces of breast meat, not "chopped and formed" dark meat as previously), and they are baked, not fried.
•  All middle schools and high schools have salad bars (except for Lincoln, where the administration doesn’t want one), and so do a few elementary schools.
•  Elementary schools that don’t have salad bars get a variety of cut-up fresh veggies with lunch; so far in October they have had baby carrots, celery sticks, zucchini sticks and jicama.
•  Fresh veggies for elementary schools and the salad bars are locally sourced whenever possible.
•  Fresh fruit is served every day, locally sourced whenever possible, and one day a month the fruit is organic.
•  Unsweetened applesauce and pineapple bits in juice (not syrup) are also served.
•  All meals have been trans-fat-free for more than a year.
•  Middle schools and high schools have more choices of meals available each day, and one choice daily at high schools is a 50 percent larger portion to accommodate the larger appetites of older students.
•  There is now a hot breakfast available at elementary schools, in addition to cold cereal for those who prefer it.
•  Grab n Go breakfast is available at three schools.
• The point of sale system that has long been state-of-the-art in other school districts has finally achieved a high enough priority to be funded and is being installed now.
• A pilot is underway at Balboa High School to make all meals currently available as a la carte also reimbursable uner the National School Lunch Program so that low-income students may also buy them, not just those with cash to pay. The program will eventually be rolled out to every middle and high school so that all school food will be equally available to all students.
• Most meals come in recyclable packaging.
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And in praise of Ed, by the way, let’s note that he’s paid far less than comparable positions in other school districts and has only one other person at management level to support him. After the Chronicle did a feature on him in May 2004, numerous other districts courted him to lure him away, but he chose to stay here even with a lack of money and resources because he truly believes in his mission of providing the best possible food to SF's kids and he didn't want to leave the job half done.

Here’s something the San Francisco community could do as a tribute to Ed Wilkins that would also benefit all our community's young people for the long-range future -- especially our most disadvantaged children and youth. Let’s pursue the idea that’s floating around and launch a bond measure to finance a central kitchen in SFUSD and a high school culinary arts program. This is a winner for any community leader or official who wants to make it his or her cause.