Cafeteria-Worker Survey Confirms Students’ Poor Eating Habits

To find out what America’s children are really eating at school, just ask the people who serve it to them.

A new survey of school food-service workers, conducted by the American Federation of Teachers, shows that when given the choice, students—not surprisingly—are selecting menu items high in fat and sugar over fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. More than 50 percent of the 226 cafeteria employees surveyed said children were making those selections.

And almost 60 percent of those surveyed, including food preparers, cashiers, and managers, reported that prepackaged snacks, such as chips, cookies, and crackers, as well as soda, are being sold in their schools, in spite of legislative action and other moves by policymakers to ban or curtail junk food at school to...