Price of treating one adult for illnesses related to poor childhood nutrition over the course of their life: $175,000.

Does anyone else see a problem here?

Our current school food system is killing our kids. Tater tots, chicken nuggets, fruit drowned in high-fructose corn syrup, a carrot stick and a cup of milk inexplicably meet the federal government’s nutritional standards. And because that meal is 18 percent cheaper—about 50 cents—than a lunch of roast chicken, a baked potato wedge and a fresh fruit and vegetable, we justify feeding it to our children and effectively teaching them that junk food is okay if the price is right.

Such are the dollars and nonsense of today’s school food system.

But change is possible. I see it happening where I work, the Berkeley Unified School District (BUSD), where kids are eating the healthy lunches we provide and learning about fresh foods in our cooking and gardening classes. School districts around the country are learning that pinching pennies is doing our kids’ health no favors. And with unprecedented attention to food issues, momentum is building to reform our fast food nation.

We’ve learned some valuable lessons at BUSD that might help turn that momentum into a full-blown movement:

District and school support are critical. Buy-in from district administration is non-negotiable, since change requires leadership and resources. Many advocates have successfully used wellness policies as an entry point for building consensus.

Don’t try to do it alone. Funding is available for projects like this, and you’re going to need it. A public/private partnership between BUSD, the Chez Panisse Foundation and the Center for Ecoliteracy has proven essential to our effort. Whether they’re helping us buy milk dispensers or funding innovation, their contribution has helped fill the gap in government funding.

Hire a chef. This sounds like a no-brainer, but most food services staff don’t have professional cooking skills. If you are going to move from pre-packaged food to fresh food, you need to have someone who knows what to do with it.

Fight for a new curriculum. This has been one of the most difficult battles. Serving healthy food in the cafeteria is one part of the issue, but students need to know the symbiotic relationship between healthy food, a healthy planet and their own health. If students have never learned how to grow or cook vegetables, chances are they won’t make a habit of eating them.

We can teach our kids to eat healthfully and provide them with the right food. We just have to decide it’s a priority. Yes, it’s more expensive. Yes, it takes more attention and more work. But can we afford the alternative?
Overweight or obese children in California: 3 million. California adults with diabetes: 1.8 million. Diabetes-related deaths in California from 1996 — 2000: 115,423.

That’s a price none of us should be willing to pay.

Chef Ann Cooper is the director of nutrition services for Berkeley United School District and her effots are partially funded by the California Endowment. She is co-author of Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed our Children (2006).