What's for (School) Lunch?

(Sarah L. Voisin/The Washington Post)

This week's "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column about school lunches encourages parents who are concerned about what their kids are eating at school to go see and taste for themselves. The experience might be reassuring -- or eye-opening.

If you can't carve out time to actually visit the school cafeteria, though, it's easy to check on what's being served. Many major school systems post their menus and other information about school nutrition practices on their Web sites. Here are some links for D.C., Maryland and Virginia schools:

District of Columbia Public Schools

Howard County Public Schools
Montgomery County Public Schools
Prince George's County Public Schools

Arlington Public Schools
Fairfax County Public Schools
Loudoun County Public Schools

Maryland Board of Education and Virginia Department of Education (each includes links to all the state's school systems; click through to find school menus)

If you like what you see, you might want to tell your school's principal. Likewise, if you think the food choices look lousy, now's a good time to speak up. Congress is expected this session to take up reauthorization of the legislation that governs school lunch (and breakfast) programs, and many organizations across the nation are calling for an upgrade to nutritional standards.

Have you sampled your kid's school lunch offerings? Did you find the food satisfactory? Or do you think there's room for improvement?