See if you can score higher on this pop quiz than members of the U.S. Congress:

[Electric Monk]

How much tomato paste must one slather onto a slice of pizza for it to qualify as a nutritionally adequate serving of vegetables for low-income schoolchildren?

A quarter cup? A half cup? Two tablespoons?

It's a trick question. A tomato is actually a fruit. But let's leave aside the horticultural definition and talk about how Congress failed the quiz. It chose 2 tablespoons, blocking sorely needed nutritional upgrades to the $11 billion federal school lunch programs. It did so because members' brains (and quite possibly their bellies) are controlled by lobbyists.

Two tablespoons is about the amount of paste commonly found on the cardboard slices that pose as pizza in far too many school cafeterias. That amount will continue to qualify as a vegetable serving. Did I mention the frozen food lobby?

Let's move on to another question. How many servings of potatoes, aka french fries, is it wise to serve to children before their diet becomes too laden with starch? Congress' answer? An unlimited number!

more http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-oped-1121-lunchroom-20111121,0,6777815.story

[lob1]

1. Remember when Reagan tried to make catsup a

vegetable? A pizza is even worse.

[Chipper Chat]

2. I think Phil Graham-cracker had something to do with that.

Watt a joke!
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