January 22, 2008
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Childhood Obesity
Believe it or not, the nutritional needs of children have not changed in the last 20 years. However, the world they live in certainly has. It is quite a different childhood experience for kids and teens, with fast food restaurants on every corner.
Kids in school face complicated lunchtime decisions on a daily basis. The decision to buy or to pack is only the beginning. On the way to the lunchroom, the hallways are lined with vending machines selling soda, chips and candy. The kids in the lunchroom flock toward the a lá carte counter, where they can buy French fries, hot dogs, and sugary drinks. And don’t forget about self-consciousness and peer pressure, which complicate this decision even more.
What a child eats for lunch at school not only influences their energy levels in math class but also sets the stage for adult eating habits. Too many wrong decisions can be a recipe for a nutritional disaster. But if you use lunchtime decision-making as a teachable moment, you can help your child learn to make nutritionally sensible decisions. Whether your child chooses to pack or to buy, here’s what you both need to know about lunchtime nutrition.Current reports on the state of school lunches are disconcerting. According to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), “menus in most school lunch programs are too high in saturated fat and Cholesterol and too low in fiber- and nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes”. PCRM states, “Major changes are needed to protect the health of our nation’s youth and to reverse the growing trends of obesity and chronic disease among children and teens.” To compound the problem, many schools operate school stores, where the students can buy fast food meals (shipped in daily from national fast-food chains), instant soup-in-a-cup (with a day’s worth of sodium at no extra charge), and of course, candy and chips. These stores act as competitors to the school lunch programs, offering even less healthy alternatives.
Discuss the cafeteria menu with your child, preferably before you’re rushing out the door in the morning. You can help them learn which options are healthier, and talk about the importance of fruits and vegetables. If they don’t like what’s on the menu, then they’ll have time to pack instead.
According to the CDC, the prevalence of overweight among children aged 6 to 11 has more than doubled in the past 20 years, jumping from 7 percent in 1980 to 18.8 percent in 2004. Among teens, the rate almost tripled, from 5 percent to 17.1 percent. This trend may be fueled partly by high-calorie, low-nutrient foods available in schools.
Many would be shocked to learn just how sugar-packed and calorie-laden school food really is. Menu choices are often very limited and surprisingly unhealthy. Faced with these choices every day, it’s no wonder more than 15% of teenagers are overweight.
The best choice for your child is often a packed lunch. With just a bit of planning, you can pack a lunch with both nutrition and pizzazz.
Pick a variety of foods. Include items with fiber, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and crackers. Try to incorporate foods from at least three of the four major food groups: dairy, protein, fruits and vegetables, and bread and grains.
Choose healthier alternatives as much as possible. Go for less processed foods, which are lower in sodium, fat, and sugar. For example, a fresh apple is better than apple juice or apple pie; a turkey sandwich is leaner than a high-fat, bologna sandwich. When choosing chips or other salty snacks, go for baked rather than fried.
Convert leftovers into healthy lunch items.
Think both thirst and nutrition when it comes to beverages. Low fat or skim milk boasts protein, calcium, and riboflavin; fruit juices (look for 100 percent juice) have various vitamins and minerals as do vegetable juices, but beware—they’re often saturated with Sodium. Likewise, beware of sugary fruit drinks (whose vitamins comes from fortification). But try not to forget that old standby, water—the healthiest drink of all.
Create a menu. Work with your child to come up with a list of foods they’d be happy to see in their lunchbox. Categorize them into food groups, and let your child pick an item from each group to pack. This way they have guidelines AND a choice. Keep a running list of ideas (yours and your child’s), so that you can liven up the menu periodically.
Comments (1)
What does the sign 666 have to do with School Meal Programs & who is the target? Our Children!!
Yes, & this is why so many overweight children are susceptible to disease & early death. SID’S Believe it or not, investigate it or not, there is more then the above reasons, so many children have problems these days: Not Milk
We have been lead to believe that Milk is good for us, with all the commercials which tells us it is healthy for us & our bodies need it. Due to the fact that commercialism pushed milk as healthy, my mother made sure we had plenty of it. Say, what? Milk is not healthy for you?
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Food Pyramid Committee
I have a question for you & anyone reading this, why then do we go from our mothers milk, to cow”s milk? Do you ever see a cow drinking peoples milk, after they are done with their mothers milk? What do farmers have to do with this lie, that commercialism has brought on? Farmers do not make much money, unless they sell more cows meat & more milk. What makes the cows so overweight? What makes them produce milk 24-7? We aren’t allowed to do steroids, but the cows are allowed to do it, then we get all the drugs that the cow gets, passed down to us. This is why they are able to produce more meat & everyone is able to buy some at the store without shortage. Did you know that Amercian’s are the only ones who eat more then a 1/4 a pound of meat @ one sitting? Is meat any healthier, knowing what we know as a result of reading this information?
Mucus what does that have to do with Milk?
Zits
Do you know why females end up developing breasts, earlier these days? Has any of this occurred to anyone yet? I know they had a link there, & I was searching out this topic, but you may have to look for the topic yourself here @ Not Milk.
What about Mad Cow’s disease? How does it affect us? What is up with that? Does commercialism, tell you as many lies as the news? You betcha!!
MAD COWBOY WHO WON”T EAT MEAT
Are we trusting the world, to create a healthy environment for us? What do we eat then if there is so much wrong with our foods? Do we become Vegan? That is a great idea & you can have all that is healthy for you, through just fruits & vegetables, although many people question this & do not understand it. If you want meat, you’d better off eating it from your own personal grass feed beef, for your own selves.
Depression, what does that have to do with milk?
Food Additives, what are you eating?
Obesity
Obesity Epedemic
It’s not how much we eat, it is what we choose to eat that makes us bigger then we are suppose to be. Allergies many people are allergic to dairy products & can’t digest them, & it is no wonder why their body doesn’t want to digest it, because we ought not to ingest it in the 1st place. However, we think it is normal, so we continue in this direction.
Why is Not Milk heard of, why are they not popular? Because they will tell you the truth about milk & everyone has already soaked up the lies of commercialism & they have no room for the truth.
I can give you links from the Not Milk website & tell you what is wrong with our society & why we follow them, even though through their commercials they lie: I can tell you these things all day long. But unless you investigate these things for yourself, you will not be satisfied. However, I believe that I brought up some interesting topic’s for you to consider in your search. Please do your research, to back up these facts that I’ve laid out here for you. There is more there then meets the eye’s, so I hope you enjoy this.
Not Milk