Online Lunch Monitoring

11-year-old Evan
Ruede has a healthy diet at home…

Serving kids extra calories at lunchtime appears to be school officials’ latest
attempt at boosting students’ scores on standardized tests, according
to a recent report released by the National Bureau of Economic Research. For
their study, University of Florida researchers evaluated school lunch menus
and found that schools increased the amount of calories by offering lunch items
high in carbohydrates, which contain glucose, a sugar known to be effective
in temporarily sharpening thinking skills. Comparing the calorie count in school
lunches on days when fifth-graders were given their standardized tests to the
calories in meals given on non-test days, the researchers found that lunches
averaged 761 calories before the testing period, 863 calories on test days
and 745 calories after testing was completed. The researchers conclude the
approach seemed to help test scores as those schools serving high-calorie lunches
reported higher student pass rates of 11 percent for mathematics, 6 percent
for English and 6 percent for social studies.

Is this practice of serving students carbohydrate-heavy lunches
on test days cause for alarm? Not as long as it is done so in moderation
and in conjunction with a well-balanced diet and exercise, according
to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Everyone needs carbohydrates,
which the body breaks down into glucose to power its cells. However,
cells can only use so much glucose at one time. The body stores leftover
glucose – called glycogen – in the cells of the liver
and muscles. Any glycogen that does not fit in those cells is turned
to fat.

It is also important that these lunches rely more heavily on complex
carbohydrates rather than simple carbohydrates. The American Dietetic
Association (ADA) describes sugars as simple carbohydrates, appropriately
named because the body digests them quickly and easily. While these
types of carbohydrates, found in candy, cookies and soda, provide a
quick energy boost, they often come with lots of fat and a lack of
important vitamins the body needs. Complex carbohydrates, found in
breads, cereals and pasta, take longer to digest but provide the body
with vitamins and minerals. And even the USDA’s Food Pyramid
suggests most calories should come from complex carbohydrates, which
provide energy specifically for the brain.

As a parent, how can you determine whether your child
is eating a healthy school lunch? By law, school lunches must meet the Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, which recommend no more than 30 percent of an individual’s
calories come from fat, and less than ten percent from saturated fat. Regulations
also establish a standard for school lunches to provide one-third of the Recommended
Dietary Allowances of protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, iron, calcium and calories.

If your child’s school lunches are lacking in the nutrition
department, the negative health consequences for your child could be
severe. The Center for Weight and Health at the University of California,
Berkley, says that malnutrition can restrict brain development, resulting
in impaired learning and cognitive function. Consider these additional
ways in which nutrition can affect your child’s body:

• Inadequate diet, nutritional deficiencies and hunger have been
  shown to decrease attentiveness, motivation and other behaviors critical
  to school performance.

• Deficiencies in specific nutrients, such as iron, have an immediate
  effect on the ability to concentrate. In fact, mild forms of anemia
  found in an otherwise healthy population of children have been shown
  to negatively impact IQ.
• Diet contributes to four of the seven leading causes of death – heart
  disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes – and increases the risk
  of numerous other diseases and conditions, including hypertension,
  liver disease, osteoporosis, atherosclerosis (the buildup of fatty
  substances in the inner lining of an artery), and obesity.
• Scientific evidence suggests fruit and vegetable intake alone
  protect against cancer, heart attack, high blood pressure, osteoporosis,
  arthritis, stroke, diabetes, cataracts, asthma, bronchitis and obesity.
• Healthy eating not only reduces mortality but also improves quality
  of life by improving energy and sense of well-being.

While school lunches must meet federal nutrition requirements, decisions
about what specific foods are served and how they are prepared are
left up to individual school food authorities. Therefore, it is important
to get involved with your child’s school so you can monitor what
he or she is eating for lunch. The Food and Nutrition Service offers
the following advice for checking up on your child’s school diet:

• Do lunch with your child – Join them while eating breakfast
  or lunch at school. See what the meals are like, and notice the atmosphere.
  If you do not like what you see, do something.

• Discuss your principles – Go to the principal. Discuss the
  importance of good nutrition and physical activity. Suggest programs,
  ask for cooperation and follow through with your ideas.
• Team up with food service staff – Visit the school cafeteria
  and get to know the staff. Let them know you value their services
  and appreciate good daily nutrition for your child.
• Throw a tasting party – Volunteer to organize a classroom
  tasting party to introduce and encourage nutritious new foods students
  may not have tried.
• Serve your child food for thought – Make sure they appreciate
  how healthy breakfasts and lunches serve their mind as well as their
  body.
• Talk out of school – Make your opinions heard. Talk to other
  parents, and work with your PTA and school board to support healthy
  school meals. You can even form a parent advisory committee for school
  meals.
• Know what’s for lunch – Get a weekly menu of school
  meals. Ask for the nutrition facts so you can be sure the menu meets
  the official Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Keep it magnetized
  to your refrigerator and discuss all of the healthy choices with
  your child.

If your child prefers to brown bag it to school, pack meals that are
easy to prepare and fun to eat, as well as healthy, safe and nutritious.
The ADA says sandwiches, raw veggies, crackers, string cheese, whole
fruit and pudding are fun foods that still supply good nutrition. To
boost your child’s intake of complex carbohydrates, you might try
incorporating more vegetables, fruits and cereals into your child’s
diet. The ADA also recommends letting your child help plan and prepare
school lunches. When he or she is involved, the chances are your child
will resist trading carrots for cookies.

National Bureau of Economic Research
University of Florida
U.S. Department of Agriculture
American Dietetic Association
Dietary
Guidelines for Americans
Center for Weight and
Health
Food and Nutrition Service