Celebrate American Education Week November 16-22!

Parent’s Day: Get Involved by becoming a Healthy Food Champion
By: Malkia “Kia” McLeod

As a part of American Education Week, parents across the nation will be spending Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2014 at school with their children on Parent’s Day. The goal of this annual celebration is to encourage and highlight parental involvement in schools, which improves student achievement, reduces absenteeism, and restores parents’ confidence in their children’s education, says the National Education Association.

A great way to get involved is to become a Healthy School Food Champion. Start by checking out what’s on the menu at your children’s school. Most importantly, take a survey of the competitive foods or items in vending machines, cafeteria à la carte lines, school stores, and fundraisers that are being sold to your children. So what’s the problem with competitive foods?

Well, they are typically high in fat, calories and sugar. Examples of competitive foods are soda or other sugary beverages; and snack foods such as candy, chips, cookies, doughnuts, and cakes. Competitive food consumption—especially with daily access—can lead to childhood obesity. Today, more than 23.5 million children and teens in the United States—nearly one in three young people—are overweight or obese.

As parents, educators and members of the school community, we know that healthy kids learn better. We also know that schools are the ideal setting for nutrition education because it’s where children spend a lot of their time. So as you prepare to head back to school next week for Parent’s Day, take a moment to learn how to “Bag the Junk” at your school.  Finally, let us know how your school is taking a stand for healthier kids. Have they replaced junk foods and sugary beverages with more healthy options, or is there still work to do?

By getting involved, you also will be making sure that your children develop lifelong healthy eating habits!

On behalf of NEA’s Health and Information Network and the Bag the Junk team: Happy Parent’s Day!