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In an effort to improve the nutritional quality of the meals they offer, several New York City schools are serving fewer processed food items and have begun cooking with fresh food, the New York Times reports. For instance, the Wellness in the Schools program, launched by a group of parents, includes a team of culinary students who work with cooks in eight schools to rework recipes to include fresh foods. Meanwhile, Middle School 137 has recently returned to providing more freshly cooked items, often including items that appeal to the school’s diverse ethnic population. The cafeteria staff also works to ensure that the salad bar is stocked with items such as fresh coleslaw and potato salad made with oil and vinegar, rather than mayonnaise. Although cooking from scratch provides a healthier meal to students, Jorge Collazo, executive chef for New York City schools, says it is not necessary for all food to be made from scratch. He adds that “limited staff time and money is better spent creating fresher salad bars and preparing more interesting sauces.” Moreover, Collazo says that small changes, such as shifting to whole wheat bread and whole grain pasta and providing low-fat milk, can have a significant impact. For the many schools throughout the country that lack well-equipped kitchens to prepare fresh meals, $100 million in federal stimulus funds have been set aside for improvements. According to the Times, New York City schools will use much of its portion of the funding to purchase nearly 100 salad bars, as well as deli bars and refrigerators (Severson, New York Times, 9/30/09 [registration required[).