Surviving the Schoolyard Junk Food Battle There is a battle taking place across America’s schoolyards. It is being waged with food vans selling junk food to captive children in school breakfast clubs sponsored by fast food moguls. The predators are vending machines selling only sugary fizzy drinks, candy, salt laden chips and chewy sweets; and in the school
board rooms where soft drink giants pay out huge fees for being a district’s exclusive vendor. As usual, our children pay the price emotional and physically. Research shows that the number of over weight children has increased from 7% in 1976-1980 to 13% in 1999. Among adolescents, it has risen from 5% to 14%. And the high-sugar, high bad carbohydrate diet takes its toll in countless other ways. The good news is the tide is beginning to turn. A few courageous school systems are replacing soda with juice, milk and water. Instead of candy, they are offering trail mix. Laws are being stiffened, and parents are taking the initiative. If you have a child in the crossfire, here’s what you can do: -
Set an example of what is healthy eating is.
- Ask your children about their school meals.
- Educate your children as to what is a healthy food and what is not.
- Make a lunch date with your child at school. This will help you experience firsthand the quality of your school’s nutrition program.
- Don’t be
afraid to track down the food service manager and/or school dietician. You must learn that to get an answer there must first be a question.
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