Limiting potatoes in school lunches

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bcattoes
bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I read a post about this a while back but that post did not mention that the USDA's proposal was not only to limit potatoes but included a requirement of what could be served in it's place as this article suggests. This sounds like a good idea to me.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu//nutritionsource/nutrition-news/potato-and-school-lunch/index.html
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Replies

  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,017 Member
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    Rediculious, but not surprised. Now starchy vegetables are evil lol.
  • MinnesotaManimal
    MinnesotaManimal Posts: 642 Member
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    I think that they need to start on broader topics. Like REMOVING the freaking pop machines from the schools and removing more of the crap food that they sell at the lunch time concession stands.


    ALSO. Nutrition needs to start at home. anybody younger than 30. think back to highschool... grade school.... how many kids ate the greasy pizza and threw away the vegetable. we need to teach and encourage our children from home to eat healthier so they do it when out and about. don't put all the blame on others such as the school....
  • missoularocks
    missoularocks Posts: 372 Member
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    LOL I just watched the episode of Glee last night where Sue Sylvester bans tater tots.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I think that they need to start on broader topics. Like REMOVING the freaking pop machines from the schools and removing more of the crap food that they sell at the lunch time concession stands.

    Hmm, none of the schools in my area allow pop or snack machines. I guess that must be a state or county rule here.
  • Fitnin6280
    Fitnin6280 Posts: 618 Member
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    Potatoes are a good source of vitamins and minerals, and while I do think it is a good idea to limit the fried potato, I think maybe the focus should be more on changing the preperation of it.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Rediculious, but not surprised. Now starchy vegetables are evil lol.

    ??? The article did not say starchy vegetables were evil.
  • MinnesotaManimal
    MinnesotaManimal Posts: 642 Member
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    Hmm, none of the schools in my area allow pop or snack machines. I guess that must be a state or county rule here.


    It must be. I grew up in California, where we DID have them ( 11 years ago.....) I do not know how things are there now. But here in Rural Minnesota, I see the pop machines when we go to public events at the middle and highschool. so they are still here.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Potatoes are a good source of vitamins and minerals, and while I do think it is a good idea to limit the fried potato, I think maybe the focus should be more on changing the preperation of it.

    Gosh, I didn't realize so many people wouldn't read the article.

    Excerpt:

    Potatoes do contain important nutrients—vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6, to name a few. But the potato is not the only source of these nutrients, nor is it the best: Cup for cup, for example, broccoli has nearly nine times as much vitamin C as a potato, and white beans have about double the potassium. Yet a cup of potatoes has a similar effect on blood sugar as a can of Coca Cola or a handful of jelly beans. (10) That’s a high metabolic price to pay for nutrients that children can easily get from other sources.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,081 Member
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    Potatos are nutritional ......don't understand why they would stop serving them. I agree with limiting the chips and fried ones, but let's find something more important to worry about in schools.
  • shazzannon
    shazzannon Posts: 117 Member
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    Instead of demonizing potatoes, why don't they encourage more physical activity in schools? It seems to me that it would be a more cost-effective way to curb obesity in children as well as help establish exercise habits.
  • kent4j
    kent4j Posts: 391 Member
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    Interesting article on potatoes.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Instead of demonizing potatoes, why don't they encourage more physical activity in schools? It seems to me that it would be a more cost-effective way to curb obesity in children as well as help establish exercise habits.

    Limiting is not demonizing, but I agree with your thought, only I would suggest "in addition to limiting potatoes, why don't they ..."
  • PB67
    PB67 Posts: 376
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    Potatoes are a good source of vitamins and minerals, and while I do think it is a good idea to limit the fried potato, I think maybe the focus should be more on changing the preperation of it.

    Gosh, I didn't realize so many people wouldn't read the article.

    Excerpt:

    Potatoes do contain important nutrients—vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6, to name a few. But the potato is not the only source of these nutrients, nor is it the best: Cup for cup, for example, broccoli has nearly nine times as much vitamin C as a potato, and white beans have about double the potassium. Yet a cup of potatoes has a similar effect on blood sugar as a can of Coca Cola or a handful of jelly beans. (10) That’s a high metabolic price to pay for nutrients that children can easily get from other sources.

    This article is idiotic

    First they demonize potatoes based on GI, which is completely useless unless you're a sedentary diabletic consuming a high-carb hypercaloric diet.

    But this was my favorite:

    "A similar long-term study found that high potato and French fry intakes were linked to a greater risk of diabetes in women, and that replacing potatoes with whole grains could lower diabetes risk. "

    LULZ, as if there were no other ways of preparing potatoes other than frying them.
  • Fitnin6280
    Fitnin6280 Posts: 618 Member
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    Potatoes are a good source of vitamins and minerals, and while I do think it is a good idea to limit the fried potato, I think maybe the focus should be more on changing the preperation of it.

    Gosh, I didn't realize so many people wouldn't read the article.

    Excerpt:

    Potatoes do contain important nutrients—vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6, to name a few. But the potato is not the only source of these nutrients, nor is it the best: Cup for cup, for example, broccoli has nearly nine times as much vitamin C as a potato, and white beans have about double the potassium. Yet a cup of potatoes has a similar effect on blood sugar as a can of Coca Cola or a handful of jelly beans. (10) That’s a high metabolic price to pay for nutrients that children can easily get from other sources.

    Gosh, actually, I did read the article. I also live in an area where the economy is dependent on the potato crop. I am just trying to say everything in moderation! That is all. Fried=bad, baked=good... You can get lots of vitamins and minerals from grazing on your lawn too, but it does not meen that is the answer to the obesity problem. Just sayin...
  • PB67
    PB67 Posts: 376
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    Instead of demonizing potatoes, why don't they encourage more physical activity in schools? It seems to me that it would be a more cost-effective way to curb obesity in children as well as help establish exercise habits.

    Excellent point.

    Just goes to show the bureaucratic idiocy that is far too common. "Hey guiz, french fries can make you fatz, so let's demonize potatoes while simultaneously slashing PE programs" Derp.
  • bellinachuchina
    bellinachuchina Posts: 498 Member
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    Gosh, I didn't realize so many people wouldn't read the article.

    Excerpt:

    Potatoes do contain important nutrients—vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6, to name a few. But the potato is not the only source of these nutrients, nor is it the best: Cup for cup, for example, broccoli has nearly nine times as much vitamin C as a potato, and white beans have about double the potassium. Yet a cup of potatoes has a similar effect on blood sugar as a can of Coca Cola or a handful of jelly beans. (10) That’s a high metabolic price to pay for nutrients that children can easily get from other sources.

    Exactly :) Fantastic article!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Potatoes are a good source of vitamins and minerals, and while I do think it is a good idea to limit the fried potato, I think maybe the focus should be more on changing the preperation of it.

    Gosh, I didn't realize so many people wouldn't read the article.

    Excerpt:

    Potatoes do contain important nutrients—vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6, to name a few. But the potato is not the only source of these nutrients, nor is it the best: Cup for cup, for example, broccoli has nearly nine times as much vitamin C as a potato, and white beans have about double the potassium. Yet a cup of potatoes has a similar effect on blood sugar as a can of Coca Cola or a handful of jelly beans. (10) That’s a high metabolic price to pay for nutrients that children can easily get from other sources.

    Gosh, actually, I did read the article. I also live in an area where the economy is dependent on the potato crop. I am just trying to say everything in moderation! That is all. Fried=bad, baked=good... You can get lots of vitamins and minerals from grazing on your lawn too, but it does not meen that is the answer to the obesity problem. Just sayin...

    I don't understand your posts if you read the article, which is about "limiting" potatoes, not "eliminating" them. That is is what moderation means.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,017 Member
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    Rediculious, but not surprised. Now starchy vegetables are evil lol.

    ??? The article did not say starchy vegetables were evil.
    By limiting starchy vegetables at lunch, and setting new requirements for dark green and orange vegetables, the IOM was trying to steer children’s diets in a healthier direction: “The committee anticipates that…with repeated exposures and high-quality food preparation, students will learn to value the vegetable items offered.” (2, p. 170) In other words, over time, kids will get used to eating broccoli, carrots, and other colorful vegetables—and may even start to like them.

    Basically their saying they're calorie dense and implying weight gain and poor health and should be replaced. Much like 30 years ago, when fat was evil and needed to be replaced. For any of this article to make any sense health wise, there would need to be a complete absence of all refined starch to begin with in order to start picking on natural ingredients like root vegetables that have a plethera of healthy micronutirents in them..........get what I mean now.
  • Fitnin6280
    Fitnin6280 Posts: 618 Member
    Options
    Potatoes are a good source of vitamins and minerals, and while I do think it is a good idea to limit the fried potato, I think maybe the focus should be more on changing the preperation of it.

    Gosh, I didn't realize so many people wouldn't read the article.

    Excerpt:

    Potatoes do contain important nutrients—vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin B6, to name a few. But the potato is not the only source of these nutrients, nor is it the best: Cup for cup, for example, broccoli has nearly nine times as much vitamin C as a potato, and white beans have about double the potassium. Yet a cup of potatoes has a similar effect on blood sugar as a can of Coca Cola or a handful of jelly beans. (10) That’s a high metabolic price to pay for nutrients that children can easily get from other sources.

    Gosh, actually, I did read the article. I also live in an area where the economy is dependent on the potato crop. I am just trying to say everything in moderation! That is all. Fried=bad, baked=good... You can get lots of vitamins and minerals from grazing on your lawn too, but it does not meen that is the answer to the obesity problem. Just sayin...

    I don't understand your posts if you read the article, which is about "limiting" potatoes, not "eliminating" them. That is is what moderation means.

    LOL, my point exactly...
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    Instead of demonizing potatoes, why don't they encourage more physical activity in schools? It seems to me that it would be a more cost-effective way to curb obesity in children as well as help establish exercise habits.

    Excellent point.

    Just goes to show the bureaucratic idiocy that is far too common. "Hey guiz, french fries can make you fatz, so let's demonize potatoes while simultaneously slashing PE programs" Derp.

    These 2 words are not synonyms

    de·mon·ize   /ˈdiməˌnaɪz/ Show Spelled[dee-muh-nahyz] Show IPAverb (used with object), -ized, -iz·ing.
    1.to turn into a demonor make demonlike.
    2.to subject to the influence of demons.

    lim·it  /ˈlɪmɪt/ Show Spelled[lim-it] Show IPAnoun
    1.thefinal,utmost,orfurthestboundaryorpointastoextent,amount,continuance,procedure,etc.:thelimitofhisexperience;thelimitofvision.
    2.aboundaryorbound,asofacountry,area,ordistrict.

    Source: dictionary.com

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