School Nutrition
Are you a concerned parent about what your kids are eating while at school? You’re not alone. This past week the School Nutrition Association held its national conference in Chicago, and they discussed a whole host of topics on what kids should eat, what they shouldn’t eat, and how to go about following school snack guidelines.
Did you know that the nation’s collective school cafeterias serve 39 million meals a day? That makes school cafeterias the second largest provider, next to McDonald’s, which serves about 47 million meals a day, of food to school-aged kids…that’s really amazing when you think about it. So, it would behoove school cafeterias to take some responsibility in providing healthy, flavorful, and, most importantly, nutritious meals.
Last April, Congress released a report that recommended strict standards to cut calories, fat, and sugar in snacks and drinks sold in school vendings machines. The Institute of Medicine goes further by recommending schools serve water (without flavoring, additives, or carbonation), low-fat and nonfat milk, and 100-percent fruit juice and avoid any beverage that contains caffeine. Going even further, many school districts around the country have placed bans on junk food in cafeterias and school vending machines. Has your district taken this step?
While all of this is excellent news, let us not forget that while curbing one’s appetite and dietary consumption will help in taking step to solve the ever-increasing obesity problem, it’s not the complete answer. Good old physical exercise and activity play a key part, if not major role, in maintaining one’s health in tip-top shape. The two really go hand-in-hand.
Get involved with your child’s school lunch program by asking your school board what is being served in the school cafeteria—and play a game of hide-n-seek outside instead of playing video games.
