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School Dinners Then and NowBy Brandon C of PJMSThere have been several changes over the past few years regarding school lunches in the United States. Before current First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign, schools were offering options that were cheaper and not necessarily better for our students. Students seemed to be okay with the earlier food programs as they felt the unhealthy food tasted better and schools districts were saving money over the purchase of unhealthy foods. The reason they did not stress over serving healthy foods is that they were paying more attention to the guidelines of calorie information. “The USDA mandates a school lunch in grades K-5 must provide between 550 and 650 calories; for grades 6-8 between 600 and 700 calories; for grades 9-12 between 750 and 850 calories.” (Taub-Dix) New hope has come across the United States because of the new regulations released in August, which were championed by First Lady Michelle Obama as part of her "Let's Move" campaign. The goal of her campaign was to “fight childhood obesity, trimmed down the carbs and gave them a little color by emphasizing whole grains instead of white flour. Fruits and veggies were placed in a leading role supported by a cast of protein foods like chicken, lean meat, cheese, and so on.” (Taub-Dix) As a result schools across the United State are feeling the pressure to offer healthy food. The problem though is that there is a lot of resistance from students. Some students would rather not eat then eat fruit or vegetables. So the trick becomes how do you make this healthy food more appealing. Works CitedHopkins, Karen. "Students Aren't Buying Healthy School Lunches." WVEC.com. WVEC.com, 24 Oct. 2012. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. <http://www.wvec.com/news/Healthy-menu--175602091.html>.Taub-Dix, Bonnie. "Hungry Vs. Healthy: The School Lunch Controversy." US News. U.S.News & World Report, 05 Oct. 2012. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. <http://health.usnews.com/health-news/blogs/eat-run/2012/10/05/hungry-vs-healthy-the-school-lunch-controversy>. Yee, Vivian. "No Appetite for Good-for-You School Lunches." The New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Oct. 2012. Web. 6 Dec. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/06/nyregion/healthier-school-lunches-face-student-rejection.html?pagewanted=all>. Return to articles menu |