U.S. Officials Pushing Tofu to Trim Fat From School Lunches

Worried about the fat in children’s meals, federal officials want to let schools and day care centers serve tofu, veggie burgers and other soy products as meat substitutes in federally subsidized lunches.

The Agriculture Department is proposing to drop its restrictions on how much soy can be used in meals. Under existing rules, soy can only be a food additive and only in amounts of less than 30%. Livestock producers are concerned about the move, but schools like it because they are having trouble complying with U.S. limits on the fat content of meals.

Although the proposal would allow schools to offer meatless entrees--tofu-stuffed ravioli is one menu possibility--nutritionists say schools are more likely to use it to increase the amount of soy that they blend into their standard fare: burgers, tacos and the like.

The USDA’s proposal has its roots in a decision the department made in 1994 to start requiring schools to meet the government’s dietary guidelines for fat and nutrients. That meant that the fat content in school menus could no longer exceed 30% over a week.

Schools have cut the amount of cheese in pizzas and the number of meatballs they serve with spaghetti, but they still struggle to stay under the limit. Some have tried offering beef patties made with prune puree only to have kids turn up their noses at what has become known around the lunchroom as “prune burgers.”

Watkins said she expects the department to make a final decision on the change by mid-February. The USDA approved yogurt as a meat substitute in 1997.