First lady Michelle Obama's push to improve the quality of food served in U.S. schools appears to be bearing fruit locally.
"Childhood obesity is a big buzz topic right now," said Cinde Stone, director of nutrition services at the Rialto Unified School District. "I think there's studies that show our nation as a whole is overweight. I think they're trying to help fix that problem."



In keeping with the first lady's goal, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been adjusting its school meal requirements so that districts must serve more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and less salt.


And for the first time, the government has set maximum calorie counts for meals served in schools. Previous regulations required only a minimum calorie count.


The new regulations will be phased in beginning in the 2012-13 school year, and many local districts are already adjusting their menus.


"It's been quite a transition because there are a lot of kids, particularly in this area, that grew up eating fast food," said Rose Fennell, nutrition specialist with the San Bernardino City Unified School District.


"And so they like that profile of the food that they're used to getting," Fennell added. "They're used to fried food that's very salty. It's a transition for them to come to the schools and have things that are not fried, that are not really that high in sodium. So it's a challenge."


Starting next school year, districts must serve each student up to a cup and a half of fruits and vegetables. Current regulations call for three-quarters of a cup of the foods, Fennell said.
Next year the government will also require that more than half the grains served at schools be whole grain. Current laws encourage but don't require that whole grains be served, Fennell said.


"There's been such a problem with childhood obesity, kids becoming diabetic at a very young age," Fennell said.


In the Rialto district,

Students eat healthy food during lunchtime Friday at Kordyak Elementary School in Rialto. (LaFonzo Carter/Staff Photographer)
officials have instituted a program where students are served local produce. The practice is encouraged by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stone said.
One hundred percent of the oranges served by the district are produced locally by the Mentone-based Inland Orange Conservancy. Stone said most of the fruit is from groves in Redlands and Highland.


There's a grove in Rialto that Stone said she's approached about purchasing oranges.


"I feel very confident that it won't be long until we're working with him," Stone said.
To help it increase the amount of produce it serves, the Upland Unified School District has purchased a new six-food salad bar to replace a salad bar about half that size at Baldy View Elementary School.


"If it goes well I'm going to go ahead and order nine more," said Food Service Director Sherry Conrad. The district has 10 elementary schools.


Conrad has worked in the district's food service department for almost 25 years. She's seen soda removed from Upland schools, as well as french fries and other foods considered unhealthy.


"We used to serve those kinds of foods as well, but we've gotten away from that," Conrad said.
She said she understands the need for change in school menus.


"There are so many children that are not eating properly right now," Conrad said. "Parents find it easy to go to McDonald's, I guess."
The challenge for schools is finding healthy foods that children like enough to eat, Conrad said.


"I'm going to gradually go in to make my changes, and maybe the kids will enjoy it," Conrad said.


If students won't eat food served at school, they still have the option of bringing outside foods to school such as soda, candy and chips.


"It's unbelievable," Conrad said of some students' lunches brought from home. "It's kind of sad."