ANDERSON, Ind. — When employees of the food service department of Anderson Community Schools heard what first lady Michelle Obama said, they were uneasy.

“Honestly, when this first came out, I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness, we’re going to have to defend ourselves again,’” said Le Anna Muckenhirn, director.

Obama launched the “Let’s Move!” initiative in early February to combat child obesity in the U.S.

Muckenhirn said she was relieved when the proposal listed four areas of concern: parents making better food choices, making better food available in school vending machines and lunchrooms, making healthier food more affordable and encouraging children to exercise more.

“We didn’t want to be a scapegoat,” Muckenhirn said recently in her office at the old South Side Middle School. “I was glad to see that (Michelle Obama) is looking at the whole picture. Parental involvement is vital.”

Muckenhirn said that the ACS food service department adheres to the guidelines of the School Meal Initiative, first published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1994.

“We have certain things – for breakfast, lunch – we have to make available to every child every day,” she said. “We are on what they call ‘offer versus serve,’ meaning that we have to offer all this, but they (the students) don’t have to take it all.”

This situation forms a Catch-22 for the department, because it depends upon the child’s tastes to determine what appears on the menu. ACS’ food service does get reimbursed by the federal government for free and reduced-price meals, but it receives no direct tax dollars. To an extent, Muckenhirn said, the department is self-sufficient.

Complicating matters is the fact that more than two-thirds of students – 67.5 percent – in ACS are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. The state average is 44.5 percent. The food service department feeds more than 9,300 in one day. Full price for a meal – what adults pay – is $2.75. Cost per meal is $2.42.

“And we are one of the few school districts that still do scratch cooking,” she pointed out. “We don’t satellite; all of our elementary schools have on-site kitchens. They make the rolls, the chicken and noodles, the spaghetti sauce there.”

In fact, Muckenhirn said, her department has been retrofitting and testing recipes, eliminating fat and salt as much as possible. In fact, there are no salt shakers on tables. Those who want to add salt must ask for it.

Many recipes for meat dishes have textured vegetable protein – soy – added to them, to reduce fat.

And, sadly, there is some education that “lunch ladies” must often impart. According to Donna Curtis, food service supervisor, that has included some fairly basic foods.

“When we first started pushing fresh fruit – and I was the manager then – we put out apples and oranges,” Curtis said. “There were children who didn’t know what they were (because they weren’t peeled and sectioned).”

“The first time we served fried chicken, the kids wouldn’t eat it, because ‘chicken’s not supposed to have bones,’” she said. “If it doesn’t come in the shape of a nugget or patty, it’s not chicken.”

Muckenhirn said that she favored Michelle Obama’s approach to the subject of child obesity because it did go beyond blaming school lunches.

“She’s talking about exercise, she’s talking about (food) labeling, she’s talking about grocery stores and restaurants,” Muckenhirn said. “We’re a part of it because we have the kids, and for some kids, it may be the only nutritious meal they have all day.”



Contact Rodney Richey, 640-4861, rodney.richey@heraldbulletin.com.



Nutritional changes

Below is a random sampling of steps the food service workers at Anderson Community School Corporation have taken to improve student meals.

* Everything on meal line baked, not french fried

* Fat and sodium reduced in most recipes

* All chips offered a la carte must be baked, reduced fat or whole grain

* Fresh vegetables offered daily as a meal option

* Lowering fat in recipes (i.e., applesauce for one-half shortening in rolls)

* Canned fruit in own juice or light syrup

* Milk options expanded to encourage consumption

* Vegetarian meal option being explored for at least secondary level

* Textured vegetable protein added to all ground beef recipes to lower fat

— Le Anna Muckenhirn, ACS Food Service Dept.



Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup margarine

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips



Whip margarine and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, continue beating. Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Blend well. Add vanilla. Fold in chocolate chips last. Portion with No. 40 dipper (approximately 1 tablespoon) and place on lightly greased (spray with pan coating) cookie sheet. Bake at 350° in conventional oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Makes 48 cookies.

— ACS Food Service Dept.



Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients

4 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 tablespoon of beef base

2 cups onion, fresh

1/2 cup green pepper, fresh

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 1/8 teaspoons oregano

2 tablespoons salt

2 1/2 cups tomato paste

1 small can tomato soup, undiluted

1/4 cup brown sugar, unpacked

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

1 gallon water



Brown ground beef, and then add beef base and simmer for 10 minutes. Add onion, green pepper, garlic, salt and oregano, and cook slowly for 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Makes one gallon.



— ACS Food Service Dept.