Saturday, 29 June 2013

U.S. Standards For School Snacks Move Beyond Cafeteria To Fight Obesity

the agriculture department on thursday effectively banned the sale of snack foods like candy, cookies and sugary drinks, together with sports drinks, in schools, creating it tougher for students to avoid the now-healthier school meals by eating snacks sold in vending machines.

“parents and schools work exhausting to provide our youngsters the opportunity to become old healthy and robust, and providing healthy choices through school cafeterias, vending machines and snack bars can support their nice efforts, ” tom vilsack, the agriculture secretary, same because we are part of a statement.

the new rules were needed under the healthy, hunger-free kids act, that was passed by congress in 2010 with broad bipartisan support. the law, supported by michelle obama and drafted with an unusual level of cooperation between nutrition advocates and of course the food business, needed the agriculture department to line nutritional standards for many foods sold in schools.

the department had previously set the standards for fats, sugars and sodium in meals ready in schools, and of course the new rules bring other foods under similar standards. when schools open in the autumn of 2014, vending machines can really need to be stocked with stuff like whole wheat crackers, granola bars and dried fruits, rather than m&ms, cheese nips and gummy bears.

“by teaching and modeling healthy eating habits to kids in school, these rules can encourage higher eating habits over a lifetime, ” same margo wootan, director of nutrition policy with the center for science within the whole public interest, that worked inside the legislation. “they mean we aren’t teaching nutrition within the whole classroom then undercutting what we’re teaching when kids eat within the whole cafeteria or obtain food direct from school vending machines. ”

health advocates are arranging the same approach to curb the consumption of fatty, sugary and salty foods that they actually did to scale back smoking : educating kids within the whole hopes that they'll become old healthier and probably pass along healthy eating behavior for their oldsters.

ms. wootan same she was pleased that the rules would forestall the sale of sugary sports drinks like gatorade in high schools. the drinks have already been withdrawn from elementary and middle schools, however ms. wootan same teenagers mistakenly assume such drinks are healthier than sodas. “all they actually are could be a sugary drink with added salt, ” she same.

a few republicans were essential as out to the new rules. representative lee terry, a republican from nebraska, tweeted his opposition making use of hashtag “nannystate” and writing “rip tater tots. ” schools might in all probability sell tater tots, a hash-brown potato nugget made by ore-ida, if they actually were baked rather than fried.

schools and big food and beverage corporations are hoping to improve the nutritional quality of food sold in educational establishments for a few time. the american beverage association, that lobbies on behalf as out to the beverage manufacturers, noted that its members had already reduced the calories in drinks who may be shipped to schools by ninety %.

the grocery manufacturers association, that represents big food corporations, applauded the new rules, though it same it'd always encourage the agriculture department to phase them in gradually.

by : stephanie strom

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