YOUNGSTOWN — Students in the city’s three public high schools have more fruits and vegetables available during their lunch hours than at any time in the district’s history.

Susan Paris, chief of food services in Youngstown City Schools, made that point Monday to U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Howland, during his to East High School.

The school district this year opened food bars at Chaney, East and Rayen Early College high schools.

“Students can get as much vegetables as they want,” Paris said. “They can have soups, which will provide grains, and, if they have fruits, it’ll qualify as a full meal.”

“We are hoping to help students make more healthy choices by providing more fruits, vegetables and soup choices,” she explained.

The cafeterias also are providing meals with a variety of meats and cooked foods for students .

Paris said the district began increasing the amount of fresh foods in 2010, but it was not until this school year that the salad bars opened.

“If we can get 100 kids to make healthier choices, it’ll be a feather in my cap,” she said.

All Youngstown City School District students are eligible for for free breakfast, lunch, supper and snacks through the Community Eligibility provision of the district’s budget.

According to district statistics, during the 2017-18 school year, Youngstown schools served 499,986 breakfasts, 705,534 lunches, 145,884 suppers and 25,027 evening snacks. The cost of the meals ranged from 75 cents per meal for the evening snacks to $2.75 per meal for the high school lunches.

Paris said the cost of lunches have been increasing since that school year.

“Buying healthy costs more,” she said. “We are hoping to get some additional funding from available USDA programs. The reimbursements we are receiving barely covers our increased costs. We would like to have more vegetable choices during our breakfasts, not just the lunches.”

Billi’e Criag, 15, a sophomore at East, likes that she has more food choices. “I think it is making a difference,” she said.

Ryan, who was at East High on School Monday to learn about the Youngstown nutrition program, said it only makes sense that the better students’ diets, the more they will be able to concentrate on their lessons and get better grades.

“They’re not gonna be able to study, do well, pay attention if their diet is off, ” he said. ” It’s common sense. I just want to make sure these programs are supplying healthy food to our kids so they can thrive and compete in this very competitive environment.”

“A lot can be done with a very small investment,” Ryan said. “We don’t need another big federal program to get more money into schools. It is about the choices that are made, such as buying local whenever is possible.”

Programs that allow students to remain healthy and do better in school will translate into savings, which will reduce the deficit and increase money available for other federal programs, he said. “We are spending $3.5 trillion a year on chronic diseases that are largely preventable, such as diabetes,” Ryan said.

rsmith@tribtoday.com