DC Schools to Pilot From-Scratch at Seven Sites

Washington DC Schools has issued RFPs for a pilot program that would bring more locally grown produce and meats to seven of its school sites, reports the Washington Post. The pilot project, which would also eliminate fried foods, trans fats and canned fruits packed in syrup or oil, calls for the establishment of a central kitchen that would produce from-scratch meals for the seven schools.

All the meals would have to meet the strict nutrition standards recently called for by the Institute of Medicine. Each would also have to contain fruit, vegetables and hormone-free milk; 75 percent of the edible products must be 75-percent whole-grain or greater; and grass-fed, local, antibiotic-free meats must be served whenever possible. The pilot programs begin Aug. 23, the first day of the new school year.