Lunch Wars

(WTNH) - In these days of rampant childhood obesity, parents are more aware of their children's diets than ever before. Moms and dads all over the country are trying to ensure the food they put on the table is not simply kid-friendly and affordable, but also safe and healthy. But what about the times they're not at the table?

The average child will eat 3,000 school lunches between kindergarten and twelfth grade. But what exactly are kids eating at school-and where does it come from? LUNCH WARS: How to Start A School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Children's Health (Tarcher/Penguin, August 2011) not only exposes the scary, hidden truth behind school lunches, but also gives parents the tools to do something about it. After author Amy Kalafa produced and directed the acclaimed documentary, Two Angry Moms , she was flooded with questions from parents who saw the film and wanted to know how to rid their own children's schools of unhealthy-and sometimes dangerous-food. LUNCH WARS is Kalafa's definitive response and an all-inclusive guide to help parents stage their own cafeteria coup.

She covers every facet of starting a school food revolution in your community, including:

• What the new federal food guidelines mean for school lunches-and why parents need to be active at a local level to effect this change
• How to motivate your child to choose broccoli over Pop Tarts (yes, it can be done!)
• First steps - how to evaluate your school's lunch program and wellness policy
• Combating common school food myths (e.g., "Healthy food costs too much"; "It's the parents' fault that kids don't eat well"; "The kids won't eat it" and so on)
• Why food education is crucial not just for your child's health but for their academic progress
• What school lunches look like in other countries and how we can learn from them
• How to launch a farm-to-cafeteria program in your child's school
• What a school lunch Menu Makeover can look like

LUNCH WARS is an invaluable reference. From First Lady Michelle Obama and her Let's Move! campaign against childhood obesity to the average parent who's struggling to instill good habits in their children, every American family has a stake in the book's message. The next-and most crucial-step is to learn what LUNCH WARS teaches and integrate it into every school in America, on every day of the year.