The time to act is now! This very moment your children are at school eating who-knows-what and starting a downward spiral to obesity, hypertension and a slew of other things that can shorten their life expectancy. Who really needs to eat 2 teaspoons of sodium/preservatives for their meal?
The Child Nutrition Bill is at the top of the agenda, but in order to get it to pass we need to act, and act NOW!
Follow this link to send a message to your congressman/woman. Let's give our children a healthier chance at a life, and teach them the proper way to eat instead of the "fast food" way.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
McDonald's No Longer the Devil: Part Deux
Alarmed by what I had discovered about the "nutritional" value of my daughter's school lunch (I actually teased her about just feeding her 2 teaspoons of salt before she left in the morning so she could skip lunch altogether), I decided to contact the Feed Service Coordinator for the school district via email. I wanted to hear her take on things and the reasoning behind all the nastiness going on in the cafeteria. I also wanted to pass on some links to get some healthier ideas flowing throughout the school system, like grants to put salad bars in, fresh food and some healthier fresh recipes from the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution website. I won't bore you with the whole letter, but I would like to hit on some of the highlights of her reply.
About salad bars:
"Salad bars have been a struggle for our department in the past due to the time restraints we have to feed the students. I will certainly look into the project salad bar grant resource you provided to see if a possible pilot location would help initiate the trend. Forest would be a great start! We have for the past 2 years been recipients of the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Grant from USDA which has allowed us to offer free fresh fruits and vegetables to over 15 schools in the district. http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/ffvp/ffvpdefault.htm"
A scary fact about the USDA guidelines:
"Current USDA Federal Regulations under the National School Lunch Program requires district to align their menus with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. At this time, we do NOT have specific nutrition regulations on sodium. We do, however, have guidelines on fat, saturated fat, Trans fat, protein and all the vitamins and minerals."
So, I would have to think the big question is, why DOESN'T the USDA have guidelines about sodium content? Our sodium intake is becoming so great that we are literally becoming human beef jerky. I suppose that would be awesome if you were lost in a desert and could spare an arm or two to survive.
There was however, some small glimmer of hope in her email:
"However, I will share that all Child Nutrition programs are awaiting the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act which should move through Congress by December. http://www.schoolnutrition.org/content.aspx?id=2402 . This will have many nutritional updates for what school districts will be required to serve and I overwhelmingly agree that it is long overdue. The guidelines will be based on the Institute of Medicine research and will include Sodium restrictions. http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2009/School-Meals-Building-Blocks-for-Healthy-Children.aspx . The guidelines, if passed into Law, will force manufacturers to make NEW & IMPROVED CN (child nutrition) products that will have better nutrition profiles and give us the selection we need to create better menus."
She also attached their nutritional information to a 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili that they were starting to roll out, which wasn't bad with 410 mg of sodium for an 8 oz. serving, but if they would just soak the beans themselves, and make it fresh, they could fore go even having that much sodium, since it's mostly in preservatives and not in taste. Who would like to bet they have to add more salt to it to make it taste better?
I suppose I will, for now, hold my tounge on the subject matter until I see what the outcome will be, but you can bet your ass I will be watching what happens with the Child Nutrition Act very closely.
Here is a question for you... Is school lunches really a new thing, and if not, what did they do about it in the 50's, 60's and 70's? Did everything come premade in a boil-in bag, or a just-add-water situation or did people actually have to "cook"?
About salad bars:
"Salad bars have been a struggle for our department in the past due to the time restraints we have to feed the students. I will certainly look into the project salad bar grant resource you provided to see if a possible pilot location would help initiate the trend. Forest would be a great start! We have for the past 2 years been recipients of the Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Grant from USDA which has allowed us to offer free fresh fruits and vegetables to over 15 schools in the district. http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/ffvp/ffvpdefault.htm"
A scary fact about the USDA guidelines:
"Current USDA Federal Regulations under the National School Lunch Program requires district to align their menus with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. At this time, we do NOT have specific nutrition regulations on sodium. We do, however, have guidelines on fat, saturated fat, Trans fat, protein and all the vitamins and minerals."
So, I would have to think the big question is, why DOESN'T the USDA have guidelines about sodium content? Our sodium intake is becoming so great that we are literally becoming human beef jerky. I suppose that would be awesome if you were lost in a desert and could spare an arm or two to survive.
There was however, some small glimmer of hope in her email:
"However, I will share that all Child Nutrition programs are awaiting the reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act which should move through Congress by December. http://www.schoolnutrition.org/content.aspx?id=2402 . This will have many nutritional updates for what school districts will be required to serve and I overwhelmingly agree that it is long overdue. The guidelines will be based on the Institute of Medicine research and will include Sodium restrictions. http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2009/School-Meals-Building-Blocks-for-Healthy-Children.aspx . The guidelines, if passed into Law, will force manufacturers to make NEW & IMPROVED CN (child nutrition) products that will have better nutrition profiles and give us the selection we need to create better menus."
She also attached their nutritional information to a 3 Bean Vegetarian Chili that they were starting to roll out, which wasn't bad with 410 mg of sodium for an 8 oz. serving, but if they would just soak the beans themselves, and make it fresh, they could fore go even having that much sodium, since it's mostly in preservatives and not in taste. Who would like to bet they have to add more salt to it to make it taste better?
I suppose I will, for now, hold my tounge on the subject matter until I see what the outcome will be, but you can bet your ass I will be watching what happens with the Child Nutrition Act very closely.
Here is a question for you... Is school lunches really a new thing, and if not, what did they do about it in the 50's, 60's and 70's? Did everything come premade in a boil-in bag, or a just-add-water situation or did people actually have to "cook"?
McDonald's No Longer the Devil?
I used to be one of the masses that truly believed that McDonald's was one of the main contributors to obesity in America today. It was easy to blame them for my issues. I actually used to joke with the doctors when they would ask me about my medical history. "I have everything that McDonald's can give you," was usually my reply. Although they are still a contributing factor, I do not believe they are no longer the main contributor anymore.
While talking to my daughter the other day about how her school lunch was, she told me, "It's the same as always, Dad. Since I don't like anything they serve I had my usual". Her "usual" being a Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Low fat Doritos, and a Propel Fitness Water. It "sounds" pretty healthy on the surface, but after curiosity got the better of me, I found the "devil was in the details".
I went on the school's website and found there was no menu for what they serve at the school for lunch. I then checked on the county school board website and found what I was looking for. It was there that I found the nutritional information for what they were serving my child. What I found there disgusted me. So I thought I would check what the regular lunch offering really had to "offer" based on the nutritional details on the site. I felt just as disgusted. Thinking to myself, "This doesn't sound much better than McDonald's," I went to the official site and went to their nutritional information to see what my duaghter's normal McDonald's meal (yes, I do still take them to McDonald's but I don't have to like it) had. She likes the Big-n-Tasty combo with fries and a Diet Coke. It was unbelieveable. The school lunch that my daughter eats five days a week was worse for her than eating her favorite McDonald's combo meal every single day.
For those who may be wondering, here is a breakdown of what I found:
Her school lunch, the "Usual": Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Low Fat Doritos and Propel Fitness Water
Total Calories: 712
Total Carbs: 86
Sat. Fat: 4
Total Fat: 34
Sodium: 2059
Normal School Lunch for the day: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Garlic Bread, Side salad, Pineapple Chunks, 1%Milk:
Total Calories: 619
Total Carbs: 87
Sodium: 1787
* Note that I was afraid to look at the saturated fat and total fat of these for fear of vomiting.
McDonalds: Big-n-Tasty, Small Fry, Diet Coke
Total Calories: 690
Total Carbs: 66
Sat. Fat: 9.5
Total Fat: 35
Sodium: 895
Does anyone else see a problem with these numbers? Why exactly are we allowing the schools to feed our children the equivalent of almost 2 teaspoons of salt for their lunch? I couldn't believe it. It also, in my opinion, explains why I just found out I have a nephew who isn't out of high school yet, but needs to be on high blood pressure medication. Also, with a nutritionist on staff, one would think that the schools would be trying to make the lunches healthier, but they aren't.
These numbers absolutely disgust me, as they should you. I am almost tempted to send McDonald's with my child everyday for lunch just to see the looks that she may get from those not in the "know". They would probably want to call the Department of Children and Families on me, but the above numbers just don't lie.
Sources:
http://www.marion.k12.fl.us/dept/fsd/docs/NutritionInfo.pdf
http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutritionfacts.pdf
While talking to my daughter the other day about how her school lunch was, she told me, "It's the same as always, Dad. Since I don't like anything they serve I had my usual". Her "usual" being a Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Low fat Doritos, and a Propel Fitness Water. It "sounds" pretty healthy on the surface, but after curiosity got the better of me, I found the "devil was in the details".
I went on the school's website and found there was no menu for what they serve at the school for lunch. I then checked on the county school board website and found what I was looking for. It was there that I found the nutritional information for what they were serving my child. What I found there disgusted me. So I thought I would check what the regular lunch offering really had to "offer" based on the nutritional details on the site. I felt just as disgusted. Thinking to myself, "This doesn't sound much better than McDonald's," I went to the official site and went to their nutritional information to see what my duaghter's normal McDonald's meal (yes, I do still take them to McDonald's but I don't have to like it) had. She likes the Big-n-Tasty combo with fries and a Diet Coke. It was unbelieveable. The school lunch that my daughter eats five days a week was worse for her than eating her favorite McDonald's combo meal every single day.
For those who may be wondering, here is a breakdown of what I found:
Her school lunch, the "Usual": Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Low Fat Doritos and Propel Fitness Water
Total Calories: 712
Total Carbs: 86
Sat. Fat: 4
Total Fat: 34
Sodium: 2059
Normal School Lunch for the day: Spaghetti with Meat Sauce, Garlic Bread, Side salad, Pineapple Chunks, 1%Milk:
Total Calories: 619
Total Carbs: 87
Sodium: 1787
* Note that I was afraid to look at the saturated fat and total fat of these for fear of vomiting.
McDonalds: Big-n-Tasty, Small Fry, Diet Coke
Total Calories: 690
Total Carbs: 66
Sat. Fat: 9.5
Total Fat: 35
Sodium: 895
Does anyone else see a problem with these numbers? Why exactly are we allowing the schools to feed our children the equivalent of almost 2 teaspoons of salt for their lunch? I couldn't believe it. It also, in my opinion, explains why I just found out I have a nephew who isn't out of high school yet, but needs to be on high blood pressure medication. Also, with a nutritionist on staff, one would think that the schools would be trying to make the lunches healthier, but they aren't.
These numbers absolutely disgust me, as they should you. I am almost tempted to send McDonald's with my child everyday for lunch just to see the looks that she may get from those not in the "know". They would probably want to call the Department of Children and Families on me, but the above numbers just don't lie.
Sources:
http://www.marion.k12.fl.us/dept/fsd/docs/NutritionInfo.pdf
http://nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/nutritionfacts.pdf
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