Senators, Celebrity Chef Want Children To Eat Healthier

EL PASO, Texas – In an attempt to end childhood hunger and spotlight childhood obesity, the U.S. Senate is proposing a bill that would re-vamp school lunch programs nationwide. That’s also the mission of a celebrity chef debuting a new show on ABC-7.

The goal for both the proposed bill and the show is to take junk foods out of schools. Last year U.S.A. Today ranked El Paso the fifth fattest city in the nation, but we found one district fighting the stereotype.

We found one student choosing salad for lunch because she says it tastes good. Music to many health officials’ ears, but not all children make healthy choices.

In a new ABC series, ‘Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution’, the chef checks out what students are eating around the country.

Pizza for breakfast isn’t only on T.V., it’s also on school menus right here in the borderland. An option El Paso Independent School District officials say falls under U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines.

The series comes just as the senate is proposing a bill that would change things. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 would add $4.5 billion to child nutrition programs.

Welcomed help for area school districts. “We want to make sure that our children are healthy. That they have healthy meals and that they do eat as much as their body requires,” explains E.P.I.S.D spokeswoman Berenice Zubia.

The proposed bill would set new and healthier nutrition standards for all foods served at schools. A concept students at Aoy Elementary are already learning about.

“I get salad because other things are bad for your health.” Diego Gutierrez is one of the hundreds of students at the school learning how to eat healthier thanks to the district’s fruit and vegetable program.

The hope is that students make the right food choices now and later in life. “What we’re trying to do is promote fruits and vegetables. Give the students opportunities to experience and try different items that they’re not accustomed to,” says Adrian Flores, a physical education teacher at Aoy.

Click here. to watch the pilot episode of ‘Jaime Oliver’s Food Revolution’.