This week’s lunch menu for New York City schools includes “Savory Beef Ravioli” and “Normandy Blend Vegetables” and “Roasted Chicken with Curry Sauce”, “Steamed Rice” and “North African Gumbo”.
First Lady Michelle Obama made nutrition part of her campaign to get kids healthy. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, signed by President Obama, gave millions of dollars to expand eligibility for free school meals.
It also made strides in both providing healthier and more nutritious food options and in educating kids about making the right choices to establish good habits.
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The goal here is to help fight childhood obesity, which can lead to major health issues, such as diabetes.
The New York City Department of Education’s Office of School Food (SchoolFood) is the group in charge of providing healthy meal choices for all students. Schools are supposed to provide only foods and beverages approved by SchoolFood.
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SchoolFood’s nutritional standards “always meet, and many times exceed, USDA guidelines,” according to the NYC DOE website.
What this translates into is a reduction in sodium, fat, and cholesterol and an increase in the grams of dietary fiber in foods, as well as the elimination of high fructose corn syrup. You won’t find trans fats, artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners, palm oil, BHA, BHT, and MSG in school food either.
For kids who opt for hot lunch, it is comforting to know that what they are eating is deemed “healthy.”
Every year my kids’ teachers encourage only “healthy snacks” during snack time. Our kids are in school for more than six hours a day.
Here’s hoping the message gets into their brain, but we as parents need to continue the healthy eating process once they get home as well.