News
News Release:
 Lunch Options in San Diego Unified Are Among Healthiest In Nation, Doctor Group Says
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine Reports
August 15, 2007

SAN DIEGO – For the second year in a row, lunches in the San Diego Unified School District are among the healthiest in American schools, according to a report issued yesterday by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

The annual report gave San Diego’s schools an A- grade, noting that the district’s score had risen from a C- in 2003. San Diego’s score of 93 out of 100 was bested only by Pinellas County Schools in Florida. It’s the second year that San Diego Unified has received a second-place ranking.

“We are very pleased with the results and we will continue striving to make it better for our students,” said Gary Petill, Director of Food Services at the San Diego Unified School District.

Reviewers praised the district’s commitment to healthy choices for students and featuring vegetarian entrees twice a week.

“This district is successful at offering fresh and healthful low-fat meals on a regular basis,” the report said.

The report also noted that several schools have their own gardens, where students grow, harvest and eat healthy vegetables, as well as the parent newsletter produced by the Food Services Department, which regularly reports on ways parents can provide a healthy diet for their children.

For full copy of the report from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, go to the group’s web site at www.pcrm.org/news/release070814.html.