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Schools to offer food menu to help combat childhood obesity
| Article published on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 |
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PINELLAS COUNTY – Federal law requires school districts participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program to develop a local wellness policy by the 2006-07 school year that addresses student wellness and the growing problem of childhood obesity.
The four basic components of the wellness policy are nutrition education, physical activity, nutrition standards for foods on campuses and other school-based activities.
Because of the new policy and the resulting guidelines, parents will notice a difference in the foods available at their children’s school and how that food is prepared.
For example, the deep-fat fryer will be banished from elementary schools, and French fries with lunch will be a thing of the past next year for students in kindergarten through fifth grade. The only beverages that will be served in elementary school will be milk, zero-calorie flavored water, unflavored water and 100 percent juice and/or vegetable juice.
Though middle school students still will be able to buy French fries for lunch, fries and other fried potato products gradually will be eliminated with a ban going into effect in the 2009-10 school year. Candy bars and other packaged candy will be eliminated, and only baked chips will be allowed.
High school students only will be allowed to purchase one serving of French fries at a time that may not exceed 4.5 ounces. Chips will have to be baked. The district goal is that by the 2008-09 school year, no more than 30 percent of the beverages made available through vending machines on high school campuses will be carbonated soft drinks, and beverage containers will be no larger than 16.9 ounces. These new guidelines under the wellness policy will not affect what parents pack in their children’s lunchboxes. However, foods that violate the policy may not be shared with other children.
Parents who would like to send snacks should call the school office or teacher to make sure the items are within the guidelines. All snacks must comply with the district’s nutrition standards and may not contain any low nutritional candy or dessert type items (cookies, cakes, cupcakes, pudding, ice cream or frozen desserts, etc.).
In addition to the guidelines about foods on campus, the policy also requires nutrition education at all grade levels; 30 minutes of physical education in elementary school, minimum requirements for health/physical education in middle school and one credit of physical education in high school; and access to hand washing/sanitizing before and after students eat.
Visit www.pinellas.k12.fl.us, click on “For Parents” and then “Curriculum Services” to reach the link to “STEPS to Healthier Pinellas.” Parents also will find information specific to elementary, middle and high school in the newsletter from their child’s school.
Call Peggy Johns, supervisor, health education, 588-6346 or Lisa Ross, school coordinator, Steps to a Healthier Florida Grant, 588-6309.
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Article published on Wednesday, May 17, 2006
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