Why Pizza is Staying in Your Child’s Hot Lunch

Molly Bloom / StateImpact Ohio

The New York Times reports that Congress has blocked rules proposed by the Agriculture Department that would have significantly changed what students eat for lunch:

The proposed changes — the first in 15 years to the $11 billion school lunch program — were meant to reduce childhood obesity by adding more fruits and green vegetables to lunch menus, Agriculture Department officials said…

Food companies including ConAgra, Coca-Cola, Del Monte Foods and makers of frozen pizza like Schwan argued that the proposed rules would raise the cost of meals and require food that many children would throw away.

In Ohio, pizza is a staple of many school cafeterias. At this week’s Ohio School Boards Association conference in Columbus, pizza companies including Domino’s and Little Caesar’s set up booths at the conference tradeshow. (Little Ceasar’s offered samples. Domino’s passed out coupons.)

Domino’s offers a pizza specially formulated to meet existing USDA guidelines:

When Domino’s Smart Slice is served with milk and fruit or vegetable sides, it
then qualifies as a National School Lunch Program reimbursable meal for
most districts

“Food service directors are our greatest advocates,” the Domino’s sales rep told us.