Why Bake Sales & Birthday Treats Are The Final Frontier In School Nutrition

By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) - In a new policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics says school nutrition has made incredible strides over the last two decades, but high-calorie, low quality foods are still available from informal sources like bake sales, birthday parties, and other events for which students, parents and staff bring treats from home. "Great things have happened in terms of sweetened beverages, school meals, snacks and vended foods in schools," said Dr. Robert Murray, professor of nutrition at The Ohio State University in Columbus and one of the two lead authors of the policy statement. In the 92 percent of U.S. school districts that follow federal nutrition guidelines, cafeteria lunches are almost always healthier and in smaller portions than packed lunches from home, he noted. "The problem now is (that) the foods of poor quality are the ones coming in from home from teachers and staff, used for birthday parties and for things like booster sales," Murray told Reuters Health by phone. These informal food sources are not regulated at the federal or state level the way lunches and other vending points are, he said. Many parents say events like birthdays or bake sales are "special occasions" and allow kids to bring in sugary or fatty foods, since having a treat once in a while is fine. But, Murray said, "when you have 30 kids i...

Source: Science - The Huffington Post - February 23, 2015 Category: Science Source Type: news