HEALTH : Better School Lunches Urged

WASHINGTON — America’s schoolchildren will eat healthier lunches if schools lock up the candy and soda machines and put more fruits and vegetables--and fewer fatty foods--on the cafeteria menu, a panel of experts said today.

The unofficial Citizens Commission on School Nutrition also urged a sharp increase in funding for the school lunch program, which feeds about 24 million children a day.

The commission also called for efforts over several years to limit the fat content in those foods to a level accounting for no more than 30% of the calories in a school lunch.

One of four major suggestions by the panel was for a ban on the sale of candy, soda, fried chips, sodas and other relatively non-nutritious foods on school property during school hours. The experts said a switch to higher-fiber and lower-fat meals should be accompanied by explanations to students about what is best to eat.