Topics: Bag The Junk, Child Obesity, Nutrition
This month, individuals from all sectors of the school community raised their voice in support of healthier school food for children. Op-eds from policymakers, educators, parents and military leaders were recently featured in major newspapers to convey a collective message: strong nutrition standards for school snacks and drinks are critical to creating healthy school environments for our nation’s kids.
Why now? Well, research shows that every day, about 40 percent of students buy snacks at school, and nearly 70 percent buy sugary drinks. Why does this matter? Many snacks and drinks available for sale at school — through vending machines, à la carte lines, school stores and fundraisers — are high in calories, fat, sugar, and salt, and low in nutritional value.
By giving kids healthier choices at school, we give them a better chance at being and staying healthy. In fact, reports show that when schools switch to selling healthier snack foods and beverages kids’ diets improve and schools don’t lose revenue.
To read more about what leaders had to say about the issue, click here. And to learn more about how you can get involved, visit NEA HIN”s Bag the Junk website.
Note: This blog was originally featured on NEA HIN’s sister website, www.BagtheJunk.org