Fresh produce battles fast food for America’s stomachs
(Photo: Dennis L. Taylor/The Californian)
Putting fresh fruits and vegetables in front of school children during lunch is a fight – not with the kids, rather with the makers of the other stuff on their plates.
“We’re fighting pizzas and French fries – those guys don’t want to get tossed off a lucrative place at the table,” said Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, on Wednesday during the Greater Vision 2014: The Business of Healthy Eating forum at California State University, Monterey Bay.
The forum looked at the challenges and opportunities of public health joining forces with agriculture. One of the challenges is getting Congress to put healthier choices on the plates of school children. But with the lobbying power of fast food, as well as the canned and frozen food industries, getting fresh fruits and vegetables on kids plates is an uphill battle, a number of the experts at the forum said.