Peter Murano Ph. D. poses with staff at Lockhart School in Massapequa.

Peter S. Murano had come full circle as he stood before the young students at Raymond J. Lockhart Elementary School. "I used to sit where you’re sitting," Murano said. Murano, who was once a student at Lockhart Elementary, returned to his roots to talk about the importance of nutrition.

These days Murano holds a PhD. and is Deputy Administrator for Special Nutrition Programs of the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington D.C. Murano and the children found an instant rapport. "A healthy diet will help you grow up healthy and get A’s on all your tests like I did, well on some of them I did," joked Murano to the amusement of students and faculty alike.

In another moment of levity, Murano asked the children what he could tell President Bush for them. Some students shouted out for world peace. But Alisa Kirshbaum brought down the house when she wittily replied, "tell him to eat more fruits and vegetables."

Conveying the message of eating right to our youth is extremely necessary, Murano feels, for they are at an impressionable age in which good, lasting habits can be formed. "Even if they don’t taste as good as some of the other things you like, eating lots of fruits and vegetables is important," said Murano.

Peter Murano gets in line at the lunch counter t Lockhart.

Murano, a former professor of nutrition at Texas A&M, praised the warm energy of the children, saying they were a relief from the sometimes difficult college crowd. "College students can be stubborn, but these kids are great and so enthusiastic" said Murano.

As Murano waited on the lunch line with the children, dwarfing them all, a staff member cracked "what’s he been eating to get so big." Eventually helping himself to a soy burger with fries and orange juice, Murano talked about his December, 2001 appointment as Deputy Administrator.

"It’s a humbling experience," said Murano. "The USDA operates on a $40 billion budget, and we oversee the administration of 13 nutrition assistance programs."

Murano said of the Special Nutrition Programs: "we have been fairly successful, but we can always do better in terms of meeting our goals."

Indeed, progress in nutrition is evident in a glance at the school lunch menu. There is more variety and healthier options than the pizza, burgers, and tacos many of us knew all too well growing up. At Lockhart, students can choose one of four entrees and two of four sides. By offering children more choices in their diet, schools like Lockhart can therefore create the right balance between fruits and vegetables and the fatty foods kids tend to favor. "There are no bad foods" said Murano. "The USDA food pyramid shows that fats and sweet are alright, but in moderation."

Kathleen Kulbaba, Lockhart’s food service supervisor and a certified nutritionist, elaborated. "We meet the requirements of providing children one-third of the USDA recommended daily allowance for calories and vitamins in their lunch," Kulbaba said.

Ultimately, Murano’s homecoming was a success. Said Lockhart’s assistant principal, Diane Sales, "Murano gave a wonderful speech and was happy to visit the kids."