Study: Kids will eat healthy school food

[one...two...tree 2,762]

By STEVE KARNOWSKI, Associated Press Writer

Maybe getting schoolchildren to eat healthy foods isn't a hopeless struggle.

Bucking some common notions, a University of Minnesota study has found that school lunch sales don't decline when healthier meals are served, and that more nutritious lunches don't necessarily cost schools more to produce.

"The conventional wisdom that you can't serve healthier meals because kids won't eat them is false," said Benjamin Senauer, one of three economists who wrote the study.

Previous studies have concluded that students prefer fatty foods and that healthier meals cost more to make, the authors noted.

The study, which appears in the December issue of the Review of Agricultural Economics, analyzed five years of data for 330 Minnesota public school districts. It looked at compliance with federal standards for calories, nutrients and fats.

When the researchers crunched all the numbers they found that schools serving the healthiest lunches did not see a falloff in demand.

While serving better meals does entail higher labor costs, the study found, that's offset by lower costs for more nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables compared with processed foods. However, many districts need to upgrade their kitchens and train their staff to prepare these foods, the researchers said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071125/ap_on_...9P9jYxdUf5a24cA

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

It's about time that the school systems quit loading these kids up with grease and junk (processed foods). If parents start doing their part as well, we may just stand a chance of having normally developing children in this country again. Our daughter, as little as she is, eats very healthy. She loves her fruits and vegetables - she loves pears, plums, oranges, bananas, peaches, papayas, mangoes and pineapples and she chews down steamed carrots, green beans, black beans, peas, squash, corn, sweet bell peppers, sauerkraut, collard greens and cabbage like there's no tomorrow. She likes bread, too. We usually give her freshly baked whole grain breads instead of the bagged breads that are pumped full with preservatives. And other than yogurt, the occasional zip of orange juice and the occasional cookie or spoon of ice cream, she doesn't take in any sweets. She drinks milk, lots of water and cool, unsweetened herbal teas. Just trying to give her a good start. I've always been horrified thinking of what kinds of junk will be pushed on her when she starts going to school. But there seems to be hope on that front.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It's about time that the school systems quit loading these kids up with grease and junk (processed foods). If parents start doing their part as well, we may just stand a chance of having normally developing children in this country again. Our daughter, as little as she is, eats very healthy. She loves her fruits and vegetables - she loves pears, plums, oranges, bananas, peaches, papayas, mangoes and pineapples and she chews down steamed carrots, green beans, black beans, peas, squash, corn, sweet bell peppers, sauerkraut, collard greens and cabbage like there's no tomorrow. She likes bread, too. We usually give her freshly baked whole grain breads instead of the bagged breads that are pumped full with preservatives. And other than yogurt, the occasional zip of orange juice and the occasional cookie or spoon of ice cream, she doesn't take in any sweets. She drinks milk, lots of water and cool, unsweetened herbal teas. Just trying to give her a good start. I've always been horrified thinking of what kinds of junk will be pushed on her when she starts going to school. But there seems to be hope on that front.

That's awesome. Herbal teas are ok for toddlers?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

It's about time that the school systems quit loading these kids up with grease and junk (processed foods). If parents start doing their part as well, we may just stand a chance of having normally developing children in this country again. Our daughter, as little as she is, eats very healthy. She loves her fruits and vegetables - she loves pears, plums, oranges, bananas, peaches, papayas, mangoes and pineapples and she chews down steamed carrots, green beans, black beans, peas, squash, corn, sweet bell peppers, sauerkraut, collard greens and cabbage like there's no tomorrow. She likes bread, too. We usually give her freshly baked whole grain breads instead of the bagged breads that are pumped full with preservatives. And other than yogurt, the occasional zip of orange juice and the occasional cookie or spoon of ice cream, she doesn't take in any sweets. She drinks milk, lots of water and cool, unsweetened herbal teas. Just trying to give her a good start. I've always been horrified thinking of what kinds of junk will be pushed on her when she starts going to school. But there seems to be hope on that front.

That's awesome. Herbal teas are ok for toddlers?

Not all of them. At very young age, Fennel tea is fine.

Fennel tea is used to promote a healthy appetite and good digestion. Fennel tea is so gentle it can be used for infants and children.

Fennel tea as a natural healer

Naomi has been drinking fennel tea since she was three months old. We actually "import" it - which is to say my family brings it over when they come visit. They make and very widely use this for infants in Germany. I wonder why they don't have it available around here. It's very healthy. We added chamomile tea to her list of drinks at about 12 months.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Very interesting on the fennel tea. I'll have to look into finding some.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Very interesting on the fennel tea. I'll have to look into finding some.

You do that. Seems you've got right about 27 weeks until your baby will be ready for it.

[Dakine 26]

Sad that our country doesn't have it's act together on what they feed kids at school.

Parents don't seem to care much as most of them are way overweight also.

They should outlaw deep fryers in schools.

Everyone worries about HMOs. Easy solution is to educate and start kids off eating good in school.

They will have less health problems down the line.

It's a joke [sad one] here in Hawaii what the kids are fed in school.

Not much PE either to burn off the grease and carbos.