Fresh from the farm: school lunch
There’s an interesting op-ed in today’s paper praising Maryland for its Farm-to-School program. The program aims to put fresh, local food in school cafeterias and to teach kids more about where that food comes from. The op-ed considers the concept a win for everyone – students, farmers, local communities and the environment.
This focus on healthy eating is another facet of an ongoing conversation on childhood obesity and ensuring students are eating well during the school day. Even as they turn healthier, schools throughout the nation are simultaneously trying not to loose their young clientele by sacrificing taste. My colleague John-John Williams recently wrote about such efforts in a story about a Howard County contest allowing students to propose recipes for the cafeteria menu.
Categories: Around the Nation, Around the Region, Howard County
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Comments
The Farm-to-School program is a wonderful idea and I hope it is incorporated in all schools. I would also love to see each school establish their own edible gardens.
Posted by: NotableM | April 10, 2009 1:16 PM
Everyone should buy, read, share, and donate to the school library the book The Edible Schoolyard by Alice Walker. Awesome. City Schools is making a great start. But we could help ourselves;parents, teachers, administrators, school visitors; please stop rewarding kids with sugar! The news is loaded with stories about childhood obesity,diabetes, etc and yet we continue to use sugar as a reward. Kids will eat anything in the classroom if it is presented as a special treat. Vegetables with some low fat dip, fresh fruit, whatever. Anything but candy.And please tell me why parents send soda and sugar water/juice to school in lunches.Although we are not supposed to remove breakfast/lunch program food from the cafeteria, I always tell my kids NOT to throw out raw veggies ot freah fruit. You would be amazed what kids eat at their desk two hours later. They think they are getting away with something.It's all in presentation.Between awful diets, lack of real PE time,lack of meaningful recess, and junk treats we are literally abusing children. These changes would make healthier students and employees.
Posted by: wise educator | April 10, 2009 2:34 PM