WakeEd

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The WakeEd blog is devoted to discussing and answering questions about the major issues facing the Wake County school system: the reassignment of thousands of students, the conversion of traditional-calendar schools to a year-round schedule, the district's response to growth and the school construction program.

WakeEd is maintained by The News & Observer's Wake schools reporter, T. Keung Hui. While Keung posts information and analysis on the issues, keep us posted on your suggestions, questions, tips and what you're doing to cope with the changes in Wake's schools.

Foods of minimal nutritional value

Submitted by KeungHui on 11/26/2008 - 07:00

Are you in favor of no longer allowing homemade foods and foods of "minimum nutritional value" to be served at classroom celebrations?

As noted in today's article, that's part of the recommendations from the Wake School Health Advisory Council for making students healthier. The group wants stronger implementation of the district's wellness policy.

While the policy doesn't specifically mention classroom celebrations, it does talk about the foods that can be served during the school day.

SHAC is focusing on the section that says schools will not use food or beverages of minimal nutritional value as rewards for academic performance or good behavior.

Examples of foods and beverages of "minimal nutritional value" include cotton candy, candy corn and soft drinks. Click here for an even more detailed list.

SHAC found that 50 percent of schools allowed foods of minimal nutritional value to be served during classroom celebrations The group also found that 15 percent of schools still allowed homemade items to be served to students.

Click here for the memo that's led to many schools banning homemade items.

When it comes to homemade items, you've got the risk of food poisoning. You've also got the risk of kids with food allergies getting a surprise.

The ban on homemade items has forced parents to buy storemade items for school celebrations.

Whether the school district implements the recommendations remains to be seen.

Comments

Lets fix schoollunches first

Thu, 11/27/2008 - 04:40 — vsheehan

Lets fix schoollunches first before we go after birthday treats. They figured out how to offer healthy food in Englands publics schools. Let WCPSS copy Englands school lunch program instead of going after birthday cupcakes.

This is a difficult topic.

Wed, 11/26/2008 - 19:05 — rr77rr99

This is a difficult topic. First of all, I don't think this issue really extends past elementary . I don't recall my kids having parties for individual birthdays in middle school, and in high school, they drive themselves to McDonalds for an ice cream or something.

So, if it's really an issue with elementary schools, from what I have seen, the teachers are really the ones that help parents out with this. I have had teachers tell me that so and so is also having a birthday the same week as my child's, and maybe the parents can arrange a "joint" celebration. Which we did... one parent fruit, another cookies. It works out.

If they are going to "ban" non nutritional foods, they better turn to their menus. French toast sticks for breakfast? Ugh. My personal favorite is the lunchtime "nachos"! That's a football game 1/2 time snack, not LUNCH TIME fare.

I am all for preaching nutrition and helping kids make wise choices, but there's also the train of thought that if you deny a kid everything, they will go nuts when it is offered to them without their parents there to tell them not to eat it.

Amen...

Thu, 11/27/2008 - 00:27 — Bob_Sconce

As the good book says, pull the plank out of your own eye before the moving the dust speck from your neighbor's. If the district is so concerned about nutrition, maybe it better start with its own lunch policies.

Here's an example: last year, one of my kids had a 10:20 (I think) lunch, which was about an hour and a half after breakfast. Unsurprisingly, kids ate very little lunch and were hungry early in the afternoon. To deal with this, the teacher had a rotating snack schedule -- about once a month, we would buy 24 serviing of some snack food for the entire class to have in the afternoon. (There was always a surplus, so kids got to choose.) Most snack foods come in individual servings, so this wasn't a big deal. Until, that is, the school started turning away half the snacks parents brought in.

What an absurd situation: "Uh, sorry that we can't figure out how to feed your kid at a reasonable time. But, we're going to make it difficult for you to help."

And, yes, in case you're wondering, this school is slated to get more kids next year. I predict 10:00 lunches. Thanks, Chuck!

That seems to be the

Sun, 11/30/2008 - 10:32 — rr77rr99

That seems to be the schedule... lunch rotation starts at around 10:30 for the younger grades and then they have snack time an hour or so later.

I've seen the stuff parents send in for snack...it's NOT healthy. If parents tried to send in carrot sticks or applesause cups, the kids turn their noses up at it. They want the cookies or Chex Mix and already in the younger grades the kids are concerned about the stigma of bringing in the "crummy snack" that the kids hated. I personally HATE the "bring in snack for everyone rotation." I rather just pack snacks for my child to keep in their cubbie for the week. Plus, does this not place an unfair burden on families that can't afford to send in snack for 25 kids?

One thing about school lunches.... my youngest child had wanted to start buying their lunch. So, it was fine with me as it also taught some responsibility skills and good choices, etc. I'd ask my child everyday what was for lunch (and what they chose). My radar went up... pizza, hot dog, canned peaches in syrup, mashed potatoes, cream corn, rolls, mac and cheese with a roll.

It didn't take but three or four months for my child to blow up! It was a noticable weight gain on a child that was very active and never one to have an issue staying a consistent weight.

We stopped allowing lunch purchases at school and returned to bagging it with a variety of fresh items, the standby P&J sandwiches and two cookies for a treat.

My child returned to fitting into clothing within a month.

Yeah

Sun, 11/30/2008 - 14:46 — Bob_Sconce

One reason that the stuff sent in isn't healthy is that the healthy stuff isn't packaged or priced for school snacks. It's much easier to buy a few boxes of single-serving cheese-its than it is to, say, have a 7-year-old lug in a bag of 24 apples.

You're right about the school lunches -- if this committee of do-gooders wants to help, it should start in the school cafeteria.

It's NOT The School Treats...

Wed, 11/26/2008 - 12:47 — Lisa_B

I feel very strongly about the fact that our youth are NOT overweight because of the occasional birthday cupcake or the skittles/gummy bear given at the end of the day.

On top of educating our children, the schools seem to be charged with everything from teaching manners and discipline, character education, and even "raising" children. Being the "food police" should not be added to that list, although the cafeteria offerings do leave some room for a serious overhaul. And maybe the soda machines in cafeterias too...

I see no reason that kids shouldn't be able to have a cupcake, brownie, or another treat brought in by a parent for child's birthday. Bringing in a few fruit snacks for the kids who have allergies works, so they can celebrate too.

A couple of years ago we were told that we had to use an online "food calculator" to see if the treats we were planning to bring to school "passed the test". You even had to input ingredients if you were making something homemade. All that did was force parents to substitute ingredients in "normal" recipes to make their treats passable, but I didn't personally want my kids eating someone's "Science Experiment". I also had a problem when they were giving my kids "sugar free" snacks, since those have NutraSweet and other chemical sugar substitutes.

What ever happened to "everything in MODERATION"???

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!

Yes the key is everything

Thu, 11/27/2008 - 00:54 — Big_Picture

Yes the key is everything in moderation. A few birthday snacks a month are not to blame. Why can't parents be accountable for allowing their kids to become so overweight?

The healthy lifestyle needs to start at home. When kids get no exercise and unlimited food and snacks, that is where the problem lies.

Funny how this goes

Wed, 11/26/2008 - 13:38 — Dadof3

Lisa, my concern is that, from our individual family perspective, an occasional treat adds up. 30 kids in a class room, each parent thinking "occasional" can be 30 treats a month. I'm not saying that's the case -- my argument is that teachers and principals have the best overall perspective to making the call, not parents (anecdotally) and not the WCPSS (bureaucratically). And, yea, we're too pudgy to pretend its not a problem.

This is where our arguments should lie, not on MYR, reassignment, at-large BoE or district size. Sigh.

BTW: Happy Thanksgiving to all, too!

Get rid of it

Wed, 11/26/2008 - 12:43 — supportwcpss

I think I might agree with some of your points. It seems like every day in our school there is a reason for a 'treat'. Someone's birthday, the day before a holiday, teacher appreciation, X, Y, Z. I think it's ridiculous. I know immediately when my kids get home if they had junk because it puts them out of whack personality wise. And we even teach them to show restraint.

If you leave it up to the teachers and principals you are back doing it many different ways. It's about the three R's and not about making sure Johnny can have a treat on his birthday.

I don't think a veggie or

Wed, 11/26/2008 - 11:18 — dianeh

I don't think a veggie or fruit tray at classroom parties is gonna help... How about monitoring what the kids actually buy at lunch time!!!! Now that they buy with credit & an assigned number the kids go crazy with snacks at lunchtime. Now granted, the actually lunch entree they buy might be on the wellness list but the kids over buy on snacks & ice cream regularly. How about monitoring that!

Even my 6th grader sees problems

Thu, 11/27/2008 - 18:00 — Voice_of_Reason_

My 6th grader asked me why a person on the F&R program was able to buy snacks, a Gateraid & a meal for less than she paid for the meal. I don't allow her the snack more than once a week. I said partially it wa because the child's parents were less well off than us, she retorted then why did they always have designer clothes when she usually gets hers from Target or Walmart on sale. My answer was maybe that's why we have more money. But I added that's the problem with government handouts, it's not only the truly needy that gets them. How else do you answer?

Most of the cloaths I get

Sat, 11/29/2008 - 07:33 — vsheehan

Most of the cloaths I get from GCF have a designer label but I payless then I would for cloaths at Target. Target cloaths do not age well so do not end up at GCF while designer cloaths do age well and end up at GCF.

Ha Ha

Sat, 11/29/2008 - 11:17 — Voice_of_Reason_

I guess I start shopping instead of donating at GFC. I wonder where to get those new shoes. And I know I should be buying a Lexus at used car prices instead of keeping my vehicle for ten years, but I don't. I know what you are saying, but the child that my daughter was talking about lives in a nice neighborhood in Wakefield. I've been around, there are a lot of people scamming the system ("rich" and relatively poor) that shouldn't be or not being frugal with the little money they have.

BL- What does subsidizing snacks and Gateraid doing to improve society or even that kid?

Why not?

Wed, 11/26/2008 - 11:27 — Dadof3

Devil's advocate -- placing veggie or fruit dishes in front of my kids will be the same as with any other child -- disappointment. Yet, what's the point? Aren't we parents and kids over-partied and over-celebratory for every stinking accomplishment, real or fictional, already? Also, if we parents are more worried about confusing an excited reaction (more cookies? Righteous!!! versus "Oh, yea, gotta eat healthy...") with our duties on core education and nutrition? Again, I don't advocate making this policy, but I see us parents losing our moorings on teaching our kids good nutrition. If we only had 1 - 2 parties a year, than I'm over-reacting, but apparently, we are doing so much more frequently.

BTW: I'm not saying Dianeh does or doesn't do any of the above, I'm being more brief than charitable, please don't interpret any of this as an attack on any individual.

Oh and one other thing...

Wed, 11/26/2008 - 10:46 — JSBinNC

It's not just the homemade items that are potentially risky to allergy kids - the store bought stuff is just as risky... at least with home made, the allergy parent can talk to the "manufacturer" to see what ingredients are used.

We've had far MORE instances of risky exposure from store bought stuff - especially baked goods from the mom and pop shops that don't label anything.

There is happy medium between healthy snacks and mitigating allergy risk - it just takes a little effort. :) Most allergy parents are only too happy to participate in the process and help out all they can. (speaking as one of them.)

Teacher/School Discretion

Wed, 11/26/2008 - 10:43 — JSBinNC

Our teachers are great at letting the class parents drive the boat on this one - and it's worked out great. For example, our Thanksgiving "feast" last week included popcorn, juice (real, not synthetic!) apples (dressed up like turkeys with mini marshmallows, etc!) and cornbread. It was the best of both worlds - a little sweet, pretty healthy, loads of fun and allergy friendly. They (teachers and class parents) give us a framework of ideas when it comes to food, and this is a pretty good example of how it ends up. Sure some times there might be skittles - but hey - kids are kids and it's not like they get a whole bag each.

Not everything needs to have a policy thrown at it. For Pete's sake we're grownups - we can work together to find a solution that works on a per class basis for the classroom events.

Now the cafeteria, on the other hand - blech. That does need some attention!!

Preferences

Wed, 11/26/2008 - 09:03 — Dadof3

I'd rather there be no restrictions, but the amount of unhealthy food at school is (or should be) alarming. Ironically, homemade foods, in nearly all cases, is healthier, and is an example of where a policies, derived from a desired results, gets the solution exactly backwards. If the goal is to reduce the foods of "little nutritional value," then I support that.

I'm aware that I'm turning on my own argument that parents know best (and they still do) but we parents don't audit what all of us are sending in with our little ones -- and the result is a ton of sugared foods, apparently. Don't get me started on the cafeteria. Convenient foods to prep are rarely nutritious.

I'd rather leave it up to the teachers and principals, and not the WCPSS to determine the best approach -- but we shouldn't be blithe about it, either.

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