Movements To Improve Healthy Food Choices in Schools
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Did you know...
- Highly processed foods are standard fare in many US school lunchrooms, and
more than two-thirds of public schools serve lunches that exceed
recommended limits for fat content.
- At least 30 percent of children are overweight, childhood
obesity has more than doubled, and it is predicted that one in three
will develop diabetes.
- Studies have shown that a diet consisting of foods high in fats,
sugars, food additives and artificial colors, and low in vitamins,
minerals and other protective factors such as fiber and phytochemicals
commonly found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains can negatively
impact learning.
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Our kids deserve food with
better standards than a highly processed cheap meal with no limits on
salt or sugar content. They need nourishing meals which include fresh
vegetables, fruits, and whole grains in order to thrive. We must speak
up for our children until the meals they are being offered by the
National School Lunch Program are truly balanced and will promote their
health and ability to learn. There are bills before Congress throughout
the year that impact the food children are eating in schools, but standards and food will only improve if we take action now.
Please contact your elected officials and speak up for better food for all kids.
Do you want to help?
You can start by asking
parents, teachers and responsible citizens to speak up and tell the
nation's leaders that it is time to provide our children with real food
at school.
School Food Movements
Here are some organizations that are trying to make a difference in school lunch programs through education and advocacy.
The Lunch Box
The Lunch Box is a project of the F3: Food Family Farming Foundation. The Lunch Box site is a web-based portal that offers practical resources to make it easier for you to make great, wholesome food to keep our kids fueled for learning and living. Their resources can help all schools and school
districts to make a healthy difference for all children in America by
providing relevant information and the pragmatic tools necessary to
make good food available for all kids.
Whole Foods Market School Lunch Revolution
Join the School Lunch Revolution. Whole Foods Market is proudly partnering with Chef Ann Cooper,
a.k.a. "The Renegade Lunch Lady," to help schools make a change. Chef
Ann has already transformed the school lunch experience for tens of
thousands of children across America by helping their schools switch
from processed foods to fresh, natural ingredients and scratch-made
meals.
Check out the School Lunch Revolution videos for tips on how to help local schools
Support Local Schools To Improve Child Nutrition
School lunch affects every community, and with just a little extra
effort we can all work together to make it better. Take action now to
bring better meals to a district or school in your neighborhood.
- Perform a school district wellness check. Since
2006, every school district is required to provide a wellness policy to
outline their approach to meal programs, nutrition and physical
activity. Request a copy of this policy and read it.
- Get a taste of reality. Eat
lunch at your local school to get a taste of what kids are really
eating. Is this how you want kids in your community to be fed? Is it
food you would want to eat? Does it align with the district’s wellness
policy?
- Build awareness. Share
your concerns about the local school food with the school board,
administrators, teachers and others in your community. Get the
attention of concerned parents, many of whom may not even realize what
their kids are eating at school. Organize a coalition of people who
care and meet regularly to divvy up the effort to mobilize more people.
- Get the word out. There are so many ways to disseminate information, mobilize and energize your community around this issue!
Contact local media. Write to legislators. Vote. Email everyone you know a link to this website. Create an online community people can join. Encourage people to donate to The Lunch Box online or at Whole Foods Market stores. Urge people to watch our videos. Organize a local screening of a documentary about school lunch. Get creative about other ways to build excitement.
- Pitch In. School lunch
reform is a big job. Few schools have the resources to do it alone.
Join Whole Foods Market to support this effort, check out our friends
who support healthy school lunches, and get involved at your local
school. Volunteer to teach a cooking class or help plant and maintain a
school garden. Talk to teachers and administrators about your own ideas
for incorporating hands-on food experiences into the usual curriculum.
See Advocates and Resources for more information.
Nutrition Resources
The Center for Weight and Health
The Center for Weight and Health works with community groups to develop
and evaluate programs to support healthy eating and active living, with
a focus on children and families in diverse communities. Their
collaborative approach maintains scientific rigor and is responsive to
the real-world needs and concerns of community partners. A wealth of
resources including project archives, fact sheets, reports, evaluation
tools, presentations, and publications is available.
Fruits & Veggies Matter: Eat a Colorful Variety of Fruits and Vegetables Every Day for Better Health
Discover
how many fruits and vegetables you need to consume each day by entering
your age, gender and activity level. Created by the Center for Disease
Control (CDC), this site includes money tips, recipes, and interactive
tools to help you get essential fruits and vegetables in your families
diet.
Healthy School Celebrations
Great ideas for parents and teachers who want to offer healthy
alternatives to celebratory snacks and junk food at school with month
by month suggestions. This .pdf from the Center for Science in the
Public Interest (CSPI) also highlights the role of school wellness
policies.