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A couple years ago British health officials enacted a BAN on TV commercials for foods high in fat, salt and sugar airing during children’s programming, but its NOT working—somehow junk foods like soda and cookies are sneaking in; the BBC reports.
Actually, Britain has a history of food faux pas. Once schools tried to reform cafeteria food and make it healthier, but it only incurred the WRATH of the meat-pie mums!
That's an EVIL looking lunch, but it’s probably very typical. Remember, a new report just determined that the USDA, which distributes food schools, actually supplies food of POOR nutritional-quality; too much processed meat and cheese.
To make matters worse, many schools undermine their own efforts to improve cafeteria food by installing more and more vending machines. With tight budgets abound, vending machines have become HUGE money-makers.
Meanwhile, schools in Europe are lobbying to distribute FREE fruit in schools. So, improving school food and health MUST be possible!
It is. Health magazine has just compiled a list of America’s healthiest schools Check out what these schools are doing to get healthy. Take a look:
Now, improving school food is win-win. It has been show that eating healthy foods, despite being MORE expensive, does help school children perform better. However, Dr. Fuhrman suggests a simpler answer, establish healthy eating habits at HOME and have kids brownbag their lunch.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Child Nutrition Commodity Program distributes food to more than 94,000 public and private schools. A good idea, but here’s the problem. A new study gives the nutritional-quality of this food a FAILING grade!
The California Food Policy Advocates and Samuels & Associates conducted the research. Here’s a bit, via TreeHugger:
The U.S. Department of Agriculture currently provides school districts with more than 180 different commodity food items per year valued at approximately $1 billion, which makes the commodity program the largest single source of foods for schools. The nutritional quality of the foods ordered by schools through the commodity program, however, is particularly alarming. While commodity foods comprise only 20 percent of the school meal, they set the tone for the entire meal. For instance, many meals are planned around the high-fat foods ordered through the commodities program, turning them into pizza, chicken nuggets and other processed foods…
…Dietary Guidelines for Americans should be reflected in School Meal Initiative Standards, and schools should have to meet them. Efforts to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables and decrease the amount of meats and processed foods purchased for school meals would contribute to providing students with much healthier foods.
Yeah, cheese and processed food are NOT nutritional superstars! Now this is really scary. Take a look at the food distribution. From The Federal Child Nutrition Commodity Program Nutritional Quality Report:
When 82% of the food supplied is meat and dairy, OFCOURSE nutritional-quality is going to be a total flop. That much meat and cheese is a dangerous no-no. Dr. Fuhrman is a staunch advocate of LIMITING these foods for optimal health, bodyweight and lifespan.
Also, consider the environmental factor. It takes WAY more resources to produce milk and meat than it does fruits and veggies. You’d think the department of AGRICULTURE would know this!
Kids have an unlikely place to buy salty snacks and high-fat foods—school! Research by the CDC showed that U.S. schools ARE selling less junk during lunch periods, but in some districts, vending machines continue to undermine efforts.
The study appears in the latest issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. WebMD reports:
"But progress is being made," says Howell Wechsler, EdD, MPH, director of CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health. "We see quite a few states where the number of schools selling junk food in vending machines is very low."
The CDC's 2006 data, alarming as they are, show progress. In a substudy of high schools in 25 states and nine cities, the percentage of high schools selling junk food during lunch periods dropped from 53 percent in 2004 to about 37 percent in 2006.
Yet there was no change in the percentage of high schools selling junk food before and after the lunch bell rang.
Why do schools sell food that harms kids' health? Money, Wechsler tells WebMD. Sales from vending machines, canteens, and snack bars come directly to schools without strings attached by state or city school systems.
Faced with increasing financial pressures, schools are tempted to make deals with the junk-food devil. However, the success of some schools should help others resist this temptation.
The increased cost of food is becoming a HUGE issue! According to The New York Times schools in NY and NJ are raising the price of school lunch to make ends meet; as much as 50 cents in some places.
And to make matters worse, junk foods—like Yoo-Hoo chocolate drinks—are major profit generators, which explains why schools are so hesitant to give them up. On the other hand, a healthy diet DOES help kids perform better. What to do?
I think the answer is obvious—pack a lunch! Dr. Fuhrman insists packing a lunch is a great way to ensure your kids are eating healthfully at school. Oh! And here are some great tips for a healthier and greener lunch—via PlanetGreen.
