Workers from Paducah and McCracken County public schools face new requirements for nutrition while serving large numbers of students food they will eat at a low cost.

Penny Holt, food service director for Paducah schools said her schools serves 1,300 breakfasts and 2,300 lunches, while her counterpart in McCracken County, Mary Sanderson said the district serves 2,500 breakfasts and 5,500 lunches. In both schools, regular lunches in middle school or high school are $1.80.

Elementary lunches are $1.50. Reduced lunches cost 40 cents.

Holt added that she sees 72 percent of children take advantage of a free or reduced lunch program.

“It’s a great program with the economy. Children get two balanced meals in schools with a protein, a bread, two or three fruits or vegetables and milk,” said Holt.

Sanderson said state statutes regulates many aspects of school food service, from fat content, sodium, sugars and portion sizes.

“In our cafeterias, I try to have one fresh fruit and one canned fruit so students can have a choice,” Sanderson said. “We have two vegetables, and a starch item.”

Holt and Sanderson now try to offer more baked meats and vegetables instead of fried items in the cafeteria line.

“We’re getting away from frying. French fries, as popular as they are, are offered once a week. We are using more oven fries,” Holt said.

State regulations provided by Sanderson require all milk to be 1 percent or skim, pure fruit juice, no beverages with more than 10 grams of sugar per serving, calories from fat not to exceed 30 percent, saturated fat not to exceed 10 percent, sugars not to exceed 32 percent or 14 grams. Foods also have strict sodium guidelines per category and portion size restrictions.

“We want to have as many choices as possible. Not every child will want green beans. Some may want corn,” Sanderson said.
Both districts have eliminated soda and non-nutritious snacks from vending machines.

“Fritos, Cheetos and Sun Chips have some value and count as grains,” Holt said. “Though we are offering more baked potatoes instead of fries, and can’t have potato chips.”

Unlike one infamous case, Holt said Paducah schools consider ketchup to be only a condiment.

After submitting menus for quality and nutrition, Holt said Paducah schools have been awarded the gold level of achievement by the state.

Sanderson said teachers work with students to instill healthful eating habits to avoid obesity. Salads are a regular part of the menu.

Lone Oak junior Shelbie York said she liked chicken nuggets with mashed potatoes and gravy.

“Usually, we get a balanced meal, but not all the time. Sometimes it’s greasy,” York said.

Lone Oak Senior Alex Lambert said his favorite meal comes on “oriental day,” with chicken, rice and a vegetable roll. While pleased most of the time, he said there is always room for food to be “a little better.”

Senior Clayton Thacker of Lone Oak said most food is good, and he eats in the cafeteria every day, while his classmate and lunch buddy Tyler Crane said quality has improved.

“We get better meals more often now,” Crane said.

“Even a vegetarian could go through the line and get a full meal,” Holt said.

Contact Alan Reed, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8658.

 

Zinc can help eyesight, reduce infection risks
BY LAQUETA PERRY
lperry@paducahsun.com

Red meat, along with poultry, seafood, lentil-type beans and nuts are high in zinc. Recent studies revealed that people who take zinc had a lower number of infections, as well as lower rates of pneumonia.

Two recent studies pointed to the positive effects of zinc on aging.

The first study was conducted by researchers at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, Mich., and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. In it, 50 men and women between the ages of 55 to 87 and of different ethnicities were recruited at a senior center. Some in the group were given zinc supplements orally for a year and the number of infections was documented.

At the end of the study the researchers found that those who received the zinc had a significantly lower number of infections.

The second study was completed at Tufts University in Boston. In that study 33 nursing home residents participated. All were given daily doses of 50 percent of the recommended dietary allowance of essential vitamins and minerals, including zinc.

The researchers found that those with a normal level of zinc had a lower rate of pneumonia, a shorter duration of it and fewer days of antibiotic use than those who had a lower level of zinc.

Both studies were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Lourdes dietician Renee Waggoner said that zinc has several functions including immune function, protein synthesis, and wound healing.

“Zinc is suggested to help with macular degeneration of the eyes,” she said.

Chief clinical dietitian at Western Baptist, Ruth Kraper, noted that zinc was involved in mind health and good for wound healing, which can be a problem for the elderly.

Red meat, poultry, seafood, lentil-type beans and nuts are high in zinc.

“Whole grains and cereals are fortified with it,” said Waggoner. “But whole grains and cereals have phytase (an enzyme) which binds up some of the zinc.”

Contact Laqueta Perry, a Paducah Sun staff writer, at 270-575-8655.