Unhealthy Schools

“I think if you go to any school lunch program you’re always going to be able to find something that’s pretty nutritious… you can always make a balanced meal. But on the flip side of that, there’s a lot of competing foods that you see.”

– Registered Dietician Rachel Brandeis

What kinds of healthy foods are your children offered at school? “Salads and non fattening products and stuff,” says Mother Etter Jenkins.

In fact, according to a new survey by the Centers for Disease Control… half of all parents believe schools are doing an ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ job at providing healthy food choices to their kids. “And I would challenge parents to go to the school cafeteria to see what kinds of foods are offered. Because I think in some instances they would be pretty surprised,” says Rachel Brandeis, a Registered Dietician with the American Dietetic Association.

The problem is, the CDC found that 90-percent of schools sell ‘snack’ foods full of fat and sugar both in the cafeteria or from vending machines. And so what are kids choosing?

“Chips,” says 16-year-old Velishea Jenkins.

“Mostly I just eat the chicken nuggets,” explains Jenni Johnson, 13.

“I’ve never seen any of my friends eat like fruits or vegetables or anything,” says 16-year-old, Lauren Hays.

In the same survey, 62-percent of parents rate their school’s physical education program as ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ when in fact only 8-percent of schools actually have a gym class!

“Don’t assume your child is eating a healthy lunch at school, and don’t assume that your child is expending any type of calories with physical activity at school,” says Brandeis.

Experts say first parents need to ask obvious, but important questions. For instance, “Asking your child, ‘what did you eat for lunch today?” says Brandeis.

And if they’re not eating healthy food, or getting enough exercise at school, she says parents should compensate: give them a healthy breakfast and dinner, make sure they exercise outside of school… on a sports team… or with the family. “I think the bottom line for parents is you have to take responsibility at home and you can’t assume that your children are getting these balanced meals and getting regular physical activity at school,” says Brandeis.

The Dole Food Company studied the eating habits of children and came up with some “alarming” statistics. The report, Dole’s Fruit and Vegetable Update: What America’s Children Are Eating, found that kids ages 6 to 12 are eating too much fat and sweets and only one half of the recommended five servings a day of fruit and vegetables. Consider the following highlights of the report:

• Only 7.5 percent of all foods eaten by kids at lunch are vegetables.
• Children are twice as likely to eat French fries than any individual vegetable.
• The vegetables most frequently eaten by kids – potatoes, lettuce, corn, green beans and carrots.
• Only 1 percent of all snacks eaten by children are vegetables (carrots are the most popular vegetable snack)
• Over 50 percent of all snacks eaten by children are cookies, desserts, potato chips, other salty snacks, candy and gum.
• Children eat very few nutrient-dense, dark green leafy or yellow-orange vegetables.
• Fruits and vegetables should account for 33 percent of children’s daily diets.
• Actual consumption of fruits and vegetables is only 16 percent of children’s daily diets.

While these statistics may not be directly linked to parental food choices for children, introducing your child to a variety of flavors when he/she is young can be a benefit later. Since the vitamins and minerals supplied by a variety of vegetables and other healthy foods are so important for growing children, it’s important that a substantial part of their diets come from these foods. Whether or not you fed your baby or toddler diverse foods when he/she was young, he/she will still like certain foods more than others. If you are struggling with getting your child to eat vegetables or healthy foods, experts at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health suggest the following:

• Serve and eat a variety of vegetables. Realize that as a parent, your eating habits will influence your child’s habits.
• Prepare vegetables to retain their taste, texture, eye appeal and vitamin content. By all means, avoid overcooking vegetables. Many children actually prefer raw vegetables that are crunchy and brightly colored. Children also enjoy raw vegetables served with a dip (peanut butter, yogurt or bean dip).
• Prepare vegetables by stir-frying or steaming.
• Have your child help prepare vegetables for a snack, salad or dinner.
• If it’s garden season, have your child help you plant vegetable seeds and watch them grow into something good to eat.
• If you have some time, cut the vegetables into fun shapes and call them catchy names – carrot “coins,” pepper “pinwheels,” broccoli “flowers” or “vegetable pick-up sticks.”
• Top cooked vegetables with grated cheese or a cheese dip or white sauce.
• Don’t give up on vegetables. Try again. From time to time reintroduce vegetables in your child’s diet. A child who refuses a vegetable the first time may enjoy it the second or third time around.
• Add vegetables into other foods you prepare if all else fails. Make quick breads or muffins with pumpkin, squash or carrots; chop a variety of vegetables and add to tomato sauce, meatloaf, pizza, omelets or casseroles; make soups using pureed vegetables (cream of broccoli, carrot, spinach, etc.).

Remember, children often learn by example. Your own eating habits could influence your child’s habits – so eat your vegetables, too!

The Dole Food Company
Massachusetts Department of Public Health
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics