RBUSD: School Pizzas Healthier

Dr. Steven Keller, the superintendent of schools for , during the Oct. 25 school board meeting rebutted concerns about the healthfulness of lunches served in the district's cafeterias.

An opinion piece recently published in the Daily Breeze compared school lunches to "garbage," with writer Denis Faye expressing how appalled he was that the schools offered pizzas from Domino's Pizza and burritos from Taco Bell.

Nevertheless, though the pizzas and burritos may be branded as Domino's Pizza and Taco Bell products, Keller said that the ones served at school are, in reality, healthier options.

While a personal cheese pizza from Domino's has 300 calories, 11 grams of fat, three grams of sugar and two grams of fiber, a Domino's-branded pizza served in RBUSD cafeterias has 270 calories, seven grams of fat, three grams of sugar and three grams of fiber, Keller said.

The burritos follow a similar pattern, where the ones served in school cafeterias are healthier and have "less calories, significantly," according to Keller.

"[I] just have to make the point that it's not the same item," he said.

According to Beach Cities Health District head Dr. Lisa Santori, the recipes used for the "regular" fast-food items have been tweaked to make the school version's healthier.

Keller also took offense at Faye's characterization of the school's vegetable offerings as a "sad little salad bar." The superintendent noted that the salad bars at the elementary schools in the district are stocked with vegetables that the kids grow themselves.

Right now, Redondo Union High School is the only school in the district without a salad bar because the cafeteria is being remodeled. Instead of helping themselves at a salad bar, students get side salads with their meals.

"When the student union comes back, we will have the 'Taj Ma'Salad' bar," Keller said.