I’m at the School Nutrition Association’s annual conference in Las Vegas this week, spreading the gospel of whole grains to school foodservice directors from around the country. I mentioned to a friend that I was coming here to speak, and he said, “Isn’t school nutrition an oxymoron?”

But the fact is, many schools are working hard to serve better-tasting, healthier food to their kids. The WGC is currently conducting a survey of “lunch ladies” and our preliminary results show that 56% serve whole grains at every meal, 33% serve them at least three times per week, and 9% serve them about once a week.

That said, understanding of whole grains is sketchy, both among school nutrition professionals and among many of the companies supplying schools. I saw one booth today selling “whole grain fruit turnovers” … “made with enriched, unbleached wheat flour.” I stopped to ask which it was: whole grain or enriched flour? The irony was that 51% of the four really was whole grain, so the product was an honest step forward – but the company was not aware of how to convey that message. (Now they are!)

Much of the confusion here in the school crowd stems from a lack of guidance from Washington. Official mandates for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) follow the 1995 Dietary Guidelines. A lot has changed in our understanding of nutrition in the last 14 years, and the NSLP just hasn’t kept up. There is no actual federal requirement for any whole grains in school lunches, although some states and districts have implemented their own requirements.

Despite this lack of federal requirements, most vendors here say that they are “following the 51% requirement” for whole grains, though many of them are unsure whether that means that 51% of the grain in a product must be whole grain, or 51% of all ingredients. We actually think it’s kind of cool that companies believe there’s a “requirement” for whole grains, and that they’re working to meet that requirement, because it means that – as we wait patiently for updated NSLP guidelines expected in about 2011 – kids are getting more whole grains. And that’s a good thing.

We can’t take all the credit, by any means, but the Whole Grains Council is pleased to have played a role in helping schools serve more whole grains, by providing resources and advice, and by working with USDA. By the way, if you’re a school lunch professional and would like to take our survey, or see preliminary results, click here. (Cindy)