WASHINGTON (AP) - School meals are getting leaner and more nutritious. Under pressure from federal officials, schools have trimmed fat, cholesterol and sodium from lunches and breakfasts and are offering children more fruits and vegetables, the government says.

A decade ago, barely a third of elementary schools offered students lowfat lunches. Now, four of every five schools do, according to an Agriculture Department report being released Wednesday.

Schools have lowered the overall fat content of meals from 38 percent of calories to 34 percent of calories, the report said. Under USDA rules, the maximum is supposed to be 30 percent. Levels of saturated fat also are down.

"School meals reach nearly 27 million children each day, sometimes providing the most nutritious meal a child receives," said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. "Fortunately, more than ever before, these meals are hitting the mark in providing good nutrition and healthy selections."

The report is based on a survey conducted during the 1998-99 school year and follows up a similar study done in 1991-92 that had alarmed federal officials. The Agriculture Department began requiring schools to meet minimum standards for nutrients and the 30 percent maximum for fat content.

USDA, which also provides menu recommendations to schools, heavily subsidizes school lunch and breakfast programs but has not penalized schools that don't meet the standards.

Schools have altered their menus and food preparation. Turkey and chicken are now mixed with beef to lower the fat content. Cafeteria workers skim fat from broth before making gravy. Schools offer a range of fresh fruit that are popular with kids, including strawberries, melons and even kiwis.

Over the objections of the beef industry, the government also has allowed schools to offer yogurt and soy products, such as veggie-burgers, as meat substitutes.

"What we've really been focusing on for the last six years is to enhance our school meals so that they do offer nutrient-dense foods that will benefit our children," said Marilyn Hurt, president of the American School Food Service Association.

But offering healthy meals is one thing; getting kids to eat them is another.

"Kids choose what foods they know. If they are eating a lot of pizza at home, they're going to choose pizza at school. It's pretty hard to overcome what they have been learning at home," said Hurt, supervisor of nutrition programs for the schools in LaCrosse, Wis.

Some schools are even offering students more candy and other snacks than they used to, the USDA report says. Such snack items have become a fund-raising tool for schools to pay for such things as band uniforms.

Thirty-one percent of secondary schools and 11 percent of elementary schools surveyed in 1998-99 said they had increased the snacks they offer.

The report also says secondary schools in particular need to improve the nutritional content of meals. Just 20 percent of lunches served in secondary schools provided at least one-third of the recommended daily allowances for vitamins and minerals while 70 percent of elementary school meals met the standard.

Teen-agers are a special challenge for schools, said Lynn Parker of the Food Research and Action Center, an advocacy group.

"As kids get older, they tend to drop out of the lunch program, and there's a concern about what they may be eating instead," she said.

Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.