New Guidelines on School Food
Tighe Gugerty
As many of us know, obesity and being overweight are problems currently plaguing America. Being either overweight or obese leads to a flurry of health woes such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. With the alarming rates at which America’s waistline is expanding, the government is attempting to set the tone for a healthy lifestyle at a young age. The USDA has issued a new set of guidelines for public school food, trying to make the school meals more healthy. These guidelines delineate specific nutrient contents that foods require and sets calorie limits for school sold ediblies. The rules state that any school food must be rich in whole-grains, fruits, vegetables, or protein and it must contain 10% of the daily value of specific nutrients: potassium, vitamin D, or dietary fiber. In addition to the nutritional requirements, the food sold in schools now must meet stringent calorie guidelines; a main entree must be less than or equal to 350 calories and snacks must be 200 calories or less. There are also limits on the amount of sodium (less than 250 mg), sugar (less than 35% of total food weight), and fat (less than 35% of calories) in items. The guidelines extend to beverages, stipulating that beverages sold must be water, milk, or 100% fruit juice. Finally, these guidelines are also required to be followed with school fundraisers; these fundraisers may break the rule if the items are sold infrequently, during non-school hours, or off school grounds.
Despite their grand intentions, these guidelines have some shortcomings. For example, the requirements of beverages do not prevent excess sugar consumption because they still allow fruit juices and flavored milks that can be loaded with unneeded sugar. These guidelines also don't take into account that students may buy multiple snacks, entrees, etc. which would effectively defeat the purpose of calorie limits. This is also stifling to the attempts of clubs for raising money. Fundraisers involving desserts tend to be successful and these guidelines make it harder for clubs to hold them, potentially affecting their financial well being. It also does not allow students to learn how to control what they eat upon their own volition and does not teach them that it is ok to have unhealthy foods in moderation; it creates a notion that all unhealthy foods should be feared and that it is not fine to even enjoy these on occasion. Lastly, it does not let students choose for themselves, which is an ideal that built this nation and will carry it into the future.
If you would like to see the guidelines yourself, go to theses links:
Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in School (pdf):
