Should the Federal Government Tell Children What to Eat?

[bluefrog]

LINK

In an effort many 9-year-olds will cheer, Congress wants pizza and french fries to stay on school lunch lines and is fighting the Obama administration's efforts to take unhealthy foods out of schools.

The final version of a spending bill released late Monday would unravel school lunch standards the Agriculture Department proposed earlier this year. These include limiting the use of potatoes on the lunch line, putting new restrictions on sodium and boosting the use of whole grains. The legislation would block or delay all of those efforts.

The bill also would allow tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable, as it is now. USDA had wanted to only count a half-cup of tomato paste or more as a vegetable, and a serving of pizza has less than that.

Nutritionists say the whole effort is reminiscent of the Reagan administration's much-ridiculed attempt 30 years ago to classify ketchup as a vegetable to cut costs. This time around, food companies that produce frozen pizzas for schools, the salt industry and potato growers requested the changes and lobbied Congress.

School meals that are subsidized by the federal government must include a certain amount of vegetables, and USDA's proposal could have pushed pizza-makers and potato growers out of the school lunch business.

I know people complain about the "nanny state" but if my taxes are going to subsidize school lunches it should be for healthy food. We have a huge problem with childhood obesity in this country. Serving kids french fries and pizza isn't going to help.

 

[ABM]

LINK



I know people complain about the "nanny state" but if my taxes are going to subsidize school lunches it should be for healthy food. We have a huge problem with childhood obesity in this country. Serving kids french fries and pizza isn't going to help.

Let pizza and French fries stay with one caveat: The kids have to pay full bore for those items or others of the same ilk.

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

I don't have a problem with schools eliminating fried foods. That said, pizza is a staple.

 

[ABM]

I don't have a problem with schools eliminating fried foods. That said, pizza eventually results in a staple.

FIFY

 

[MARIS61]

Our tax dollars should pay for nutrition to keep our kids healthy, not garbage that will give them diabetes just because a couple of corporations have the inside track on supplying said garbage.

Unless you like fat kids, higher health costs and more disabilities for SSI to pay for.

 

[ABM]

Our tax dollars should pay for nutrition to keep our kids healthy, not garbage that will give them diabetes just because a couple of corporations have the inside track on supplying said garbage.

Unless you like fat kids, higher health costs and more disabilities for SSI to pay for.

I always brought my lunch from home. It's why I'm so healthy today.

 

[tlongII]

It's not school lunches that make kids obese. It's what they eat when they're at home!

 

[ABM]

It's not school lunches that make kids obese. It's what they eat when they're at home!

or 4th meal!!

 

[Natebishop3]

We discussed this in my biology class this term. The pizza and junk food is not part of the federally subsidized food program. The food that comes from the Feds is actually made back east and is shipped out here where it is warmed up for serving. The pizza and other junk food is actually brought in by the local schools. I had heard of McDonalds and Pizza Hut with actual locations in schools. I don't know if that's true. The school system is whoring itself out to major vendors to try to get some extra funds.

 

[julius]

I always brought my lunch from home. It's why I'm so healthy today.

For the kids who have no way of having a lunch brought from home, we should provide them with food. But it's pretty sad and telling that we (collective) don't give a shit what they eat just as long as we can act like we do something positive for schools. I'm not saying that about any of us, but the country as a whole. We're full of hot air when it comes to this.

 

[speeds]

Some kids don't eat at home, making the obligation to serve something decent, if something is being served at all, that much more important.

 

[BoBoBREWSKI]

No. Last I checked, that's the parents job. But unfortunatly there are way to many horrible parents who dont give a shit what their kids eat.

 

[bluefrog]

We discussed this in my biology class this term. The pizza and junk food is not part of the federally subsidized food program. The food that comes from the Feds is actually made back east and is shipped out here where it is warmed up for serving. The pizza and other junk food is actually brought in by the local schools.

"Junk food" doesn't directly come from the USDA but it is part of the subsidized school lunch program. The USDA directly offers "entitlement foods" like beef, cheese and vegetables at a discount.

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunch/aboutlunch/NSLPFactSheet.pdf

2. How does the National School Lunch Program work?
Generally, public or nonprofit private schools of high school grade or under and public or nonprofit private residential child care institutions may participate in the school lunch program. School districts and independent schools that choose to take part in the lunch program get cash subsidies and USDA foods from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for each meal they serve. In return, they must serve lunches that meet Federal requirements, and they must offer free or reduced price lunches to eligible children. School food authorities can also be reimbursed for snacks served to children through age 18 in afterschool educational or enrichment programs.

So by counting pizza and french fries as vegetables the USDA allows schools to serve not so healthy foods to kids on the taxpayers bill

I had heard of McDonalds and Pizza Hut with actual locations in schools. I don't know if that's true. The school system is whoring itself out to major vendors to try to get some extra funds.

There is a great book (and latter a movie) called "Fast Food Nation" about this.

Schools were also signing contracts with Coke or Pepsi to provide those drinks in vending machines and served at school events. There's a story about a boy being disciplined for wearing a Pepsi T-shirt at school with an exclusive contract with coke.