The ABCs of School Nutrition

The start of the school year has officially arrived, which of course leads to a host of questions as to what constitutes a healthy school meal. When I skipped off to school (back when Moses was a teenager), lunches were no big thing. You either brown bagged it from home or ate a hot lunch served up by lunch ladies in the school cafeteria.

Fast forward to 2011. As I read (and re-read) nutritional mandates set forth by my daughter’s preschool, I had a small panic attack because my small human turns up her nose at the new MyPlate standards. Every day, I pack her snack and lunch with plenty of dairy, whole grains, protein and fruit (which her teacher inspects daily). Every day, I cross my fingers her lunchbox returns empty (and without a note from the teacher). Some days are hit and miss, but I rest reassured we are providing her with nutritious food to fuel her body and brain, and her school is making sure we, as parents, adhere to nutritional standards.

This subject sparked a recent debate during one of our family dinners. One of my cousins said Katie’s preschool was too strict. He said his son was allowed to bring flavored milk and goodies for his snack—and he didn’t see what all the fuss is about, especially at the age of 3. A discussion about how school nutrition guidelines have changed dramatically in an effort to get kids to eat more healthfully and reduce the rising rates of obesity soon was in full force.

He was stuck on notion that kids should eat whatever they wanted—as long as they eat. My point was parents are responsible for making sure our kids get the proper nutrition. I reminded him that a recent Institute of Medicine (IOM) report found one in 10 infants and toddlers under age 2 are overweight, and one in five children between ages 2 and 5 are overweight or obese. Then the light bulb went on above his head.

We discussed and debated a number of new policies at the federal and municipal levels designed to help change the face of school nutrition, while at the same time trimming our kids’ waistlines.

The Childhood Obesity Task Force last year unveiled the action plan, “Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation." The plan contains 70 specific recommendations to combat childhood obesity in the United States and return the childhood obesity rate to 5% by 2030. Recommendations for school nutrition include providing healthy food in schools through improvements in federally supported school lunches and breakfasts; upgrading the nutritional quality of other foods sold in schools; and improving nutrition education and the overall health of the school environment.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was passed into law and allowed USDA—for the first time in more than 30 years—the opportunity to make real reforms to the school lunch and breakfast programs by improving the critical nutrition and hunger safety net for millions of children.

This year also witnessed the release of the much-anticipated 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans that puts stronger emphasis on reducing calorie consumption, increasing physical activity and choosing healthy foods, including more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein sources, and fat-free and low-fat dairy items while limiting sodium, saturated and trans fats, added sugars and refined grains.

School districts across North American are adapting their own nutritional standards. Gone from cafeterias and vending machines are foods and beverages without essential nutrients and/or contain high amounts of fat, sugar and sodium, including sugary drinks, flavored milks, energy drinks, sports drinks, deep fried and other fried foods.

So at the end of dinner, we all pretty much agreed that school nutrition standards are needed, and empowering our children to eat healthfully begins at home. We are now swapping lunch menus and “nutritional tricks of the trade" via email in an effort to get both our kids to embrace healthful eating.