LAUSD Refutes TV Show's Claims About School Meals

Los Angeles - The day after a nationally broadcast television show questioned the quality of food served at Southland schools, Los Angeles Unified School District officials insisted today that the meals prepared for students are not only good, but healthy.

Television chef Jamie Oliver's show "Food Revolution" took the LAUSD to task during an episode that aired last night. The district had refused to allow Oliver into its schools as part of the series.

On the show, he compared the meals served in LAUSD schools to "airplane food."

In response, the LAUSD invited the media into its Newman Nutrition Center, the district's central kitchen facility, to sample the food and review its upcoming menu options.

"The food that we serve is healthy and nutritious and very good quality," according to David Binkle, deputy director of the district's food services.

According to the district, new menus are being developed for the 2011-12 school year, with entrees such as Salvadorian beef stew, chicken Tandoori, Asian pad Thai, California sushi roll and teriyaki beef and broccoli with brown rice.

Dennis Barrett, director of food services for the district, said the LAUSD invited Oliver to "be a part of our menu development, but just leave the cameras away."

"I would say that his perspective is much different than my perspective," he said.

The LAUSD serves more than 122 million student meals a year.