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Rep. Polis explains proposed measure during visit to Manhattan Middle School

The Boulder Valley School District hopes to soon be offering milk alternatives and a more robust variety of vegetarian alternatives as part of its school lunches thanks to a proposed bill from U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Boulder, that aims to expand access to healthy foods in schools.

The Healthy School Meals Act, which Polis introduced with numerous co-sponsors, proposes including non-dairy milk alternatives -- like soy, almond or rice milk -- in the federally-funded breakfast and lunch programs and providing incentives for districts to offer vegetarian alternatives.

Polis was at Boulder Valley's Manhattan Middle School on Monday to talk to students and staff about his proposed bill.

"This would provide incentives for districts to be healthier," Polis said.

School districts like Boulder Valley that offer vegetarian entrees to at least two-thirds of students would receive federal financial assistance, according to the proposed bill. Schools also would be able to offer students milk substitutes that meet nutritional standards, according to Polis.

Currently, milk alternatives are not included in the federally-reimbursed breakfast and lunch programs, meaning Boulder Valley can only offer them to students for purchase.

"The U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn't allow it as part of the reimbursable meal," said Ann Cooper, a school nutrition expert hired by Boulder Valley to be interim director of nutrition services. "Now students can buy it, but we can't give it way."

The vegetarian incentives would allow Boulder Valley to "do what we do better," Cooper said. Boulder Valley offers vegetarian alternatives to its students now, but Cooper said more support from the government would allow her staff to improve and expand the options.

"We could make them in house ourselves," she said.

Manhattan eighth-grader Tessa Des Chenes, 14, noting that many people in her school are vegetarians or lactose intolerant, said more milk and entrée offerings would help keep kids happy and healthy.

"Right now I usually just eat salads and ignore the meat alternatives," Tessa said.

Read more: Boulder Valley backs bill to serve vegetarian, milk alternatives - Boulder Daily Camera http://www.dailycamera.com/schoolchoice/ci_14870361#ixzz0kzcwPKCG