Nutrition and healthy eating

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• April 24, 2013 7:20 p.m.

  It is understandable that the government has to take control of the growing epidemic of childhood obesity and the easiest way for them to do this is to make changes in schools. I agree that school lunches should be made as healthy as possible for children but why do the portion sizes have to decrease? My son often complains that he's not getting enough to eat and is frequently hungry during school, which interferes with his though process when all he can think about is his hungry tummy. The government should be trying to get kids motivated to be healthier by giving kids more of what they like! Give them more time to go outside and run around! Kids love gym class. As I went through school, the amount of time to get exercise in school decreased every year. The government should incorporate larger portioned healthy meals with more exercise classes. That seems to be a healthier combination to me.

  - Elizabeth

• March 5, 2013 7:44 p.m.

  I completely agree that school lunches need to be changed up. While I don't see the absolute need for organic foods, I would be ecstatic to find fresh fruits and vegetables rather than frozen or canned being served at schools more often. I find it appalling that the lunches are so terrible and greasy that my children refused to eat school lunch when they started attending school for the first time last year. I also love the idea of providing extra food for children in poverty from other programs. That gives me hope for the human race. :)

  - Samantha

• February 26, 2013 9:14 a.m.

  You bet it is the responsibility of the federal government to regulate school lunches since they are the ones who decide which agricultural products to subsidise they need to take responsibility and ownership of the health of our children. Kids are rebelling not because they arent getting enough calories but becauae they are not getting enough percieved value out of their food. Schools could choose lower calorie, higher volume protein options instead of just decreasing portions of the same frankenfood they have been serving.

  - diana

• February 13, 2013 6:48 p.m.

  First get the facts straight, ALL school lunches are subsidized. . . Is that really necessary? Some are reduced even futher. The idea that the school food is all the child may eat is alarming, but true. Whose fault is that? Lots of the parents are selling benefits. I have friends who buy them and get cheap groceries all the time. Somebody else's kid is going hungry for that cheap shopping spree. . .Align the two programs,use the schools to feed the kids year round. End the graft and feed the kids. Stop allowing benefits to buy junk food. If parents won't parent on the most basic level take the job from them.

  - lyn

• October 3, 2012 12:42 a.m.

  Katherine I am VERY glad you noticed that the 1 meal of the day (for many kids) is the one being changed. If the 1 meal a kid gets is to help him live till the next day, we are hurting those kids by taking away that meal. I saw that someone stated "other programs" will take place of that lost meal but the reality sets in at dinner time and the kid is hungry. I know 1st hand several boys that are in this position NOW.... TODAY... that need that meal...sure they agree the food sucks but its what they can get. My 2nd thought is portion sizes. I think a cookie cutter approach has been given to fix this problem. Example 2 kids age 15 one is short and small one is 3 times his size, one plays video games after school the other football. (I know these 2 boys) they both get fed the same food and same proportions. It does not work that way.

  - Gary - Orlando

• September 8, 2012 3:02 p.m.

  I believe that there is definitely more to do! The processing of food ingredients (not just the finished product) is still a big problem with food vendors. I am still concerned about all manner of toxins in food growth & processing. And, I do not believe that calorie restriction is the right approach. The source of the calorie is the key! Calories from sugar, simple starches, and fats out of proportion to their nutritional value is the issue. Our children's bodies need healthy fats for digestion and for utilizing vitamins and minerals from quality fruits & vegetables, grains and proteins. Low fat milk, for instance, is not as satisfying, and has a higher concentration of sugar! It is good that we are finally taking seriously the reality of obesity; but there are so many ways of getting this wrong! Real reform of the School Lunch program will only be complete when we, as a nation, are re-educated about real food, and that is not likely while big agribusiness is more important to our lifestyles of convenience & food as entertainment, over substance. Alice Waters and her "edible schoolyard" program to EDUCATE the children about the source of nutrition and enjoyment of food is still the best model for how to make real change. And, until our values are re-aligned toward health, we will likely continue to pay for the pretense of inexpensive food (including school lunches) with the actual costs of disease and the pretense of health "care". Nobody win

  - Inez

• August 23, 2012 8:56 a.m.

  Our children from elementary to high school have come home from school starving everyday during this first week of school. The new federally mandated lunch program is a joke. These kids have to go to after school sports practices and need energy to fuel their bodies and brains. Please tell me anyone who ever became obese from eating school lunches? Good nutrition is one thing, but not giving kids enough to eat is terrible. And the government telling me that my child can't have ketchup is ridiculous. Many of our kids in America only get this one meal each day! My senior football player is taking two sandwiches each day to supplement his school lunch in order to be able to make it through after-school football practice each evening until 7:00pm!

  - Arkansas

• May 23, 2012 4:34 p.m.

  I think it is a waste to make these lunches whole grain especially if the children are not eating them at home. They are going to go to school and eat nothing then and the children who have free and reduced lunches suffer then because they go hungery. I agree fresh frutis and salad bars are a good idea and most children I see enjoy them but these other options just get thrown in the trash. Even myself wouldn't eat the food they are served I would have to eat from the salad bar and take the yogurt option. The main courses are awful. Nothing like when I was in school 10 years ago. My opioion is that the children are basically skipping a meal and that itself is not healthy.

  - No name given

• May 5, 2012 1:24 p.m.

  So, I am 22 and was eligible for free school meals from 6th grade through the end of high school, although I often brought lunches from home and sometimes ate off-campus with babysitting money. I lived in a school district that is known for being progressive with respect to nutritious lunches, but even so I was often amazed at how clearly crappy the food was, and I shudder to think what the lunches must look like in "bad" districts. There was a salad-bar that always had salad mix and rolls that I think were whole-wheat, plus other fruits and vegetables in rotation; but all the fruit was canned, and the hot entrees were usually prepackaged and oversalted, made with pasty concoctions of white flour, tasteless "cheese" the texture of glue, and mystery meat. I think kids should absolutely have better options in school, especially since kids with free/reduced price lunch often have limited choices. You can't force kids to eat their fruits and vegetables, but you can give them something reasonably healthy for a main dish (how hard is it to use whole-wheat noodles and slip some spinach into the lasagna?) and present nutritious sides - which you give them the choice to take or not, so they're not wasted. I don't think we're going to solve large-scale problems of malnutrition or obesity through school lunches, but we can certainly avoid exacerbating the problem. Not everyone is going to make good choices, but we can at least make the good choices available and set

  - Kathryn

• April 23, 2012 5:05 p.m.

  As a parent, I agree that children should have access to nutritional food in schools and outside of school. I'm completely in agreement with getting gov't involved simply because school districts have a budget to follow. If it's economical to cut costs in certain areas, they'll find organic fruits and veggies as a luxury expense and find a cheaper alternative that's probably not as healthy as it should be for our kids. But, I don't think the gov't could successfully mandate what parents feed their children. I just hope kids get a fighting chance in the food served in schools. Once they're accustomed to eating healthier, most kids will continue better habits in the future.

  - Chamois

• March 12, 2012 4:21 p.m.

  I think the Government should not be involved. They are taking over too much already. Parents should either send a lunch with child that they approve of or work with the school. IF it truly is in the best interest of the child then it starts at HOME. The government is taking away our rights one small one at a time and they start with children.

  - Carla

• February 29, 2012 9:25 a.m.

  I don not think that it will make kids healthier. Once they go home, they end up eating crap anyway. It's not like they are being held from it. Junk food is cheap, healthy food isn't. Most people can't afford healthy food, so they eat junk.

  - Cynthia

• February 27, 2012 11:03 a.m.

  I have no children but have always felt that the school should feed the children better. I remember we always had good for made for us and now they feed them processed crap or pizza or pancakes on a stick or walking tacos that to me is not a meal give them what they need nutrition and healthy things.

  - Betty

• February 23, 2012 12:14 p.m.

  I am a dietitian that helps plan menus for live-in institutions for teens that utilize the school lunch program. As much as I like the idea of making the lunches healthier, we find most kids already turning down most of the smaller amounts of fruits and vegetables that are offered now. If you cut the sodium to the recommended levels, the taste of meals may suffer. I do agree some of the foods offered at the schools are awful-subsidies provided by the government are so bad they aren't used where I work. For the regular schools, shouldn't we be feeding our own kids if at all possible? My kids bring a sack lunch every day. It's pretty simple and cost-effective to pack a healthy lunch from home. My kids go to a larger high school and don't like the school lunches there. I doubt the guideline changes will improve the taste of the lunches, at least in the short term. Let's hope for the best in the long term and remember to take responsibility for our own kids.

  - No name given

• February 22, 2012 10:07 p.m.

  I am appalled and horrified by the lunch programs. Have you read the ingredient list on some of the foods? My family has lot of food allergies and sensitivities. For instance my 11 year old(skinny as a rail)granddaughter becomes excesssively hyper if she eats anything with aspertane. We often can't find out what is in some of the dishes and this year have even played heck getting the wrappers to read. Her sister is asthmatic and has food induced attacks. How is the food program helping them? We are being treated as if we're sheep, not smart enough to question, learn or be responsible for our children. And the children are being kept from learning proper nutrition for their individual needs. At our school they stopped handing out menus(too expensive), don't let children wash up before eating, won't let them have more than a miniscule amount of the fresh fruits and vegeies, and have eliminated much of the PE program. These factors lead to classroom learning, behavior problems and obesity. Are you certain about your school? We are working to improve the system, but we know that it will not be improved unless our children are recognized as having individual needs and we as adults insist on accepting responsiblity for them and refuse to be part of the herd mentality that we're being pushed to accept. We can make a difference. 0

  - Patty

• February 22, 2012 6:01 p.m.

  I am a lunch director in a small catholic school K-8th grade. I am appalled at the kids who dump out their fruits and vegetables daily. It's only the kids whos parents serve them nutritious foods at home that eat well. It's ridiculous to think that they will learn to eat well at school! All they are concerned about is getting out to recess or chatting with their friends. So it must start in the home! You can make all kinds of news laws and rules but all that will be accomplished will be less participation of school lunch and more kids going hungry. We serve all food groups in moderation. There is is no way that we are the cause of their bad health or obesity. It's what they eat outside of school that is causing these health concerns with our children. It's time the parents started being parents and taking the responsibility for their own children's health and well being and not relying on our government forcing our schools to do it! Parents need to insist their children shut off the TV and put away their cell phones and Ipods and move around instead of lying on their behinds. It's not so much the food the kids are eating, it's the time they spend NOT moving. As lunch director, I serve fresh fruits 2-4 times a week plus veggies every day, at least half of our grains are whole grains, very limited desserts, and a main dish that is moderate in fat and calories. The waste is unbelievable. Parents! do your job and teach yours kids good nutrition and stop depending on the schools.

  - Lynn

• February 22, 2012 2:24 p.m.

  I am tired of paying high prices for unhealthy terrible school lunches. At home we eat healthy so my kids know what good food is. My son is turning 15 an age where he is eating a lot and by the way he is not over weight he is an athlete. The portions are too small so he sometimes needs to but two lunches. He asked me to please pack him lunch because he actually feels terrilble after eating the school lunch. I have also suggested to the school to start a program where the kids can grow a garden. Healthy and educational, they could use the produce for school lunches and also start a farmers market to raise money.

  - No name given

• February 20, 2012 6:26 p.m.

  Sure, these changes will help, but they're not an end all solution. When catsup is classified as a "vegetable" how much can we really rely on standards? Real changes can only be made when parents and other adults who interact with children act as role models.

  - Michael

• February 20, 2012 6:20 p.m.

  Changes to school lunches will certainly help,but to combat the obesity that has already become epidemic amoung school age children parents must take responsibility for their own diets and start their chidren out right. They have to stop giving their children "juice" full of HFCS and artificial coloring and high fat/calorie chips.I have worked in perdiatric cardiology for 11 years and am amazed at the yearly weight gain of some of the patients,many children under 7 years of age weighing over 100 lbs. My sister and I have written "Gaining Weight" as a tool for young mothers to rid their homes of unhealthy and unnatural ingredients that they are feeding their families causing obesity and metabolic syndrome.

  - Joanne

• February 20, 2012 2:46 p.m.

  Changes to school lunches may help some. School lunches are not the best and I am in totally agreement on that issue. But as parents we need to take more responsability for our childrens eating habits. Get the boxed easy meals out of our pantry, stop making the fast food chains our easy out and get our children out from in front of the T.V., computer, wii etc. School lunches are not making our children the way they are.

  - No name given

• February 15, 2012 10:26 p.m.

  Some improvement is better than nothing. We largely learn how to eat when we are young, shouldn't schools help with that education?

  - PhotoMyDiet