Mixed reviews for healthier school lunch fare

School cafeteria managers on the hunt for foods that are healthy and will also please finicky students are sampling bean burgers, peanut butter substitutes and other alternatives at a convention in Boston.

Nutritional standards that take effect this fall call for less sodium and more whole grains and fruits and vegetables. The requirements, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, also call for healthier snacks and drinks in school vending machines and snack bars.

Reviews were mixed Monday as school cafeteria managers sampled offerings at the School Nutrition Association's annual conference in Boston.

After initially supporting the requirements two years ago, the group is calling on Congress to delay some of them because school lunch programs are struggling to meet budgets.

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