No more junk food in schools

foot1647

I had probably 2 20 ounce bottle of regular and code red mountain dew everyday at my school from the vending machine and I was always in the median of my weight average during my sports physicals I had twice a year. Its the kids that sit at home and play video games all day, eat 4,000 calories of chips and hot pockets and sodas that get fat. I'm also of the belief that family meals, at least dinner, everyday is good for us as a family. No TV, just sit, eat a good meal every night and talk about stuff and I don't know but one other family that does that with their children. One of my aunt, uncle and cousins family sit in the living room with TV trays or my cousins go in their rooms and play video games while eating, how weird.

I grew up with my grandparents, from age 5 to 18, and I was not allowed to sit in the house. I didn't mind, I would ride my bike non-stop for tens of miles all through high school. I had played a little football and basketball and went to our local BMX park on Burnside (In Portland, Oregon) and would ride my bike from sun up to sun down in the summer while also having tons and tons of crap food. I just went to friends houses or go swim at the river during school weeks. I hated sitting down, I've always rather been outside than inside.

My oldest won't start Kindergarten till next school year (Sept. 2014) and I plan on making him school lunches anyways, I buy my kids as much Organic foods as there is and school foods would never consider that. Its just a personal preference, It is slightly more costly, but I've given my children the majority of Organic produce we buy instead of myself if not possible. But more healthy type foods and raw fruits and veggies is always better than what I grew up on with school foods. Mashed potatoes with a huge pile of gravy goop and a milk, corn dogs, burritos, pizza... Well I guess at least Pizza is a Vegetable now, when I was in school is was just junk food.

lithezebra

We didn't have junk food at school, when I was in school, and we had an hour of P.E. every day. I'm ambivalent. I don't think that schools should be responsible for making kids eat properly, or for making them exercise. On the other hand, how are kids supposed to learn if they're hungry, or antsy from sitting all day?

What does this mean for skinny kids?

Hexahedra

Government-run schools use government approved curriculum and maintain their own rules. They can and do prohibit certain items from being brought to school, ranging from weapons, spray paints, cell phones, to junk food. If you don't approve of their methods you either vote someone else into the government, or homeschool your kids. Many parents homeschool where I live.

I support educating kids in healthy eating habit by restricting junk food at school. When they become adults they are free to engorge themselves with as much crap they can swallow.

Restricting and replacing normal foods with reduced fat low calorie variants doesn't encourage healthy eating nor does it educate kids in healthy eating.
low calories =/= healthy.

Does that mean high calories = healthy?

I can eat junk food every day and not gain weight, because I have enough discipline to count it and eat it in moderation. Many school kids don't have that kind of control yet, so it's up to the adults to regulate it. It's the same reason alcohol and cigarettes are only available to adults.

SassyCalyGirl

I think its great-but I also believe its a PARENTS job to teach children healthy habits. Too many parents place the responsibility on teachers/childcare to teach THEIR children what should be taught at home.

lithezebra

:devil: The government shouldn't be nitpicking over who eats when, when, where, and why. That's ridiculous.

Listen here.

I've traveled a lot. Lived in many different places and eaten under a lot of different roofs. Comparatively, I can tell you that Americans are just...lazy.
We are lazy, lazy people who don't value cooking or nutrition. Everywhere else I've lived health is something that is honored. It's a valued facet of everyday life, but here? We spend 2 minutes microwaving Hamburger Helper rather than spend 3 minutes sauteeing vegetables. I don't understand where the culture came from or how to fix it. But...it makes me sad.

And taking candy away from children isn't the solution.

Why is the government giving candy to children in the first place? The government doesn't nitpick what you can feed your kids at home. Regardless of what anyone thinks about the changes, this is the government deciding what food the government will pay for, in government subsidized programs.

lithezebra

A practical question may be whether it makes sense for the government to pay for food that kids won't eat. The typical American diet is horrendously unhealthy. Just because the government will provide fruits and vegetables doesn't mean that children accustomed to Doritos and fast food will eat them.

highervibes

I don't see a problem with it. You let the government educate your children, why shouldn't they decide what food can be served to them also?

We also let them build our roadways, why shouldn't they decide what vehicles we drive on them also?

Well they do tell you how fast you can go, whether or not you can talk on the phone while doing so (at least in Canada) and when you can and can't do certain things (like passing, left turns etc.) Not sure I see your point since just about the ONLY thing you can do is pick the car you drive. You can't even drive it without a seatbelt if you're the only one in the car. So yeah, they control quite a bit on the roads also.

Speeding is dangerous to yourself and all other drivers, talking on the phone and driving intoxicated are hazardous to yourself and all other drivers. A healthy kid Eating a full sized granola bar is hardly a danger to anyone, why would this need to be regulated for this individual?

I don't think they're trying to get granola bars out of lunches, I understood that it was the food they were serving and in vending machines. I think a kid should be able to bring whatever they want from home but setting a GOOD example in schools just seems like the logical thing to do.

And as for the driving thing... not wearing your seatbelt is only dangerous to yourself (providing no one else is in the car) and the government still mandates the wearing of one when you drive.

I think the takeaway here is if you don't like it, pack a lunch, homeschool or start lobbying.

chandanista

Coming from experience as a high school senior currently, what they have done for public schools is merely decreasing the amount of calories of the food by giving us less. The school food is still absolute junk, we are just fed less of it.

This is what my sisters have told me. One just graduated, she was on track and basketball. My other is a senior this year, on drill team. They used to sneak off-campus to my parents' home (2 blocks or so, but closed campus) and inhale an extra lunch between classes; usually late to final period, but not hungry during their practices.

My daughter was a first grader last year and informed me they were required to have one fruit OR vegetable on their lunch tray. I'd check the lunch schedule the night before and if the fruit and veg weren't something she'd eat, I'd send her with grape tomatoes or some such so she'd have two servings during the day. Actually, I usually had a banana or grapes or something in her backpack on a daily basis, because she learns better when not hungry and lunch was scheduled a looooong time after her breakfast.

I have no horse in this race as we plan to start homeschooling (not for lunches or anti-government or anything, other reasons entirely) but I really, really don't think serving kids diet food is going to help. Requiring a nutrition class in high school? Go for it. Combine it with a budgeting and cooking class, and maybe we can cut back on the "Freshman twenty" that so many get when they first move away from home. But, policing the number of calories growing children are eating, without teaching them the nutrition behind it or feeding them more based on activity level or ability to obtain food at home, doesn't seem to be in the least bit helpful, to me.

whierd

If we're talking about government provided lunches? Great, I support what they are doing.

But if they try to tell parents that they can't send foods to school for the kids that pack lunch? That is something I take issue with.

I think they mean at the cafeteria or in the vending machines etc. Barring any allergies, I'd be PISSED if I couldn't send whatever I wanted in my kids' lunch.

It has already happened in some school districts.

bpaugh

As a teacher, I think it is awful that I can no longer give a student a tootsie roll for working hard on an assignment...

SteelySunshine

IMO Junk food should have never been allowed in schools in the first place. Unless it's from home. So, that part is just correcting a problem that shouldn't have ever happened. However, some of the regulations seem stupid to me like limiting portions to 200 calories. Very active children need more than that.

Wetcoaster

My son just graduated this year....but a couple years ago here in Canada(BC) they replaced all the crap in the vending machines
and the cafeteria (which is run by students) starting serving healthier meals.

Not one student complained...they actually thought it was a good thing.

QuilterInVA

How stupid - that's only a small part of the junk the eat in a day. Is the first step to a tax on snack foods and soft drinks to help obese adults.

highervibes

My son just graduated this year....but a couple years ago here in Canada(BC) they replaced all the crap in the vending machines
and the cafeteria (which is run by students) starting serving healthier meals.

Not one student complained...they actually thought it was a good thing.

They did this in Ontario also. You can still bring whatever you want though.

Perplexities

I don't see a problem with it. You let the government educate your children, why shouldn't they decide what food can be served to them also?

We also let them build our roadways, why shouldn't they decide what vehicles we drive on them also?

Well they do tell you how fast you can go, whether or not you can talk on the phone while doing so (at least in Canada) and when you can and can't do certain things (like passing, left turns etc.) Not sure I see your point since just about the ONLY thing you can do is pick the car you drive. You can't even drive it without a seatbelt if you're the only one in the car. So yeah, they control quite a bit on the roads also.

Speeding is dangerous to yourself and all other drivers, talking on the phone and driving intoxicated are hazardous to yourself and all other drivers. A healthy kid Eating a full sized granola bar is hardly a danger to anyone, why would this need to be regulated for this individual?

I don't think they're trying to get granola bars out of lunches, I understood that it was the food they were serving and in vending machines. I think a kid should be able to bring whatever they want from home but setting a GOOD example in schools just seems like the logical thing to do.

And as for the driving thing... not wearing your seatbelt is only dangerous to yourself (providing no one else is in the car) and the government still mandates the wearing of one when you drive.

I think the takeaway here is if you don't like it, pack a lunch, homeschool or start lobbying.

"I don't think they're trying to get granola bars out of lunches"
Maybe you should go read the OP, again.

Perplexities

My son just graduated this year....but a couple years ago here in Canada(BC) they replaced all the crap in the vending machines
and the cafeteria (which is run by students) starting serving healthier meals.

Not one student complained...they actually thought it was a good thing.

They did this in Ontario also. You can still bring whatever you want though.

"Not one student complained"
How did you come to this conclusion?
Did you conduct a survey of every student?

Marla64

Government-run schools use government approved curriculum and maintain their own rules. They can and do prohibit certain items from being brought to school, ranging from weapons, spray paints, cell phones, to junk food. If you don't approve of their methods you either vote someone else into the government, or homeschool your kids. Many parents homeschool where I live.

I support educating kids in healthy eating habit by restricting junk food at school. When they become adults they are free to engorge themselves with as much crap they can swallow.

Well, except for one little thing-- WE'RE supposed to BE the government. You know, government of the people, by the people, for the people.... the government is supposed to work for us. WE pay THEIR salary. THEY'RE supposed to do OUR bidding, not the other way around.

However, yes, considering our government is so entirely screwed up, (as is most of our society) home schooling is an excellent option-- one that we have chosen-- at least through the elementary and middle school years. We send them to high school because personally I can't provide football, marching band, chem labs, blah, blah, blah--

And putting up with stupid nanny crap like this is a necessary evil--

DawnieB1977

Jamie Oliver (chef) did an excellent TV programme about food in schools. He worked on educating kids, and parents, about nutrition.

I don't know what education is like I'm the US, but I'm guessing you don't get taught about healthy eating in schools. In an ideal world this would be a parents' job, but we know it's not an ideal world.

Wetcoaster

My son just graduated this year....but a couple years ago here in Canada(BC) they replaced all the crap in the vending machines
and the cafeteria (which is run by students) starting serving healthier meals.

Not one student complained...they actually thought it was a good thing.

They did this in Ontario also. You can still bring whatever you want though.

"Not one student complained"
How did you come to this conclusion?
Did you conduct a survey of every student?

Actually the school did........where are you from?

Oh I see....not from Canada.

JUDDDing

I don't know what education is like I'm the US, but I'm guessing you don't get taught about healthy eating in schools. In an ideal world this would be a parents' job, but we know it's not an ideal world.

They teach it in my kid's schools (US midwest). Every year they have a required health class that covers the topic pretty well.

Calories, macros, reading labels, etc.

I can't speak to how it is in every school in the US - each state has a lot of autonomy on these things. But I suspect it is taught practically universally.

I don't accept that for anyone under at least 40 - that the problem legitimately is a lack of knowledge. (I had these same sorts of classes - in a different state - when I was a kid.)

Knowing what to do and actually doing it are different things.