All healthy, all the time

The Spec's Carmelina Prete reports:

'The pizza will have to be whole-grain, the french fries low-fat and all drinks caffeine-free.

The kinds of foods available to serve and sell in Hamilton public schools will change drastically this September under an ambitious nutrition policy that requires 80 per cent of all food and beverage choices available for sale in Hamilton's public schools to be healthy.

Healthy is defined by strict nutrition standards which, depending on the food, means low in fat, sugar and sodium; and high in fibre and calcium...

Until now, there have been few restrictions on what teachers can serve kids, be it for classroom parties or sweet treats for good classroom behaviour. But the policy now mandates healthier options for students including:

* No more gummi bears for good behaviour. Rewards in the classroom will no longer be given in the form of unhealthy foods.

* No more bake sales -- unless the cupcakes are replaced with bran muffins or other healthy choices.

* No caffeine. School cafeterias cannot sell products with caffeine, including coffee, tea, sports and energy drinks.

* No more pizza or hot dog days - unless the wieners are low-fat or veggie and the pizza wholewheat.'

What do you think? Is this reasonable, or does it go too far?

Comments

[Andrew]

I agree the food in schools should be of higher quality, but at the same time I am really getting sick and tired of this dictatorship mentality going on in Hamilton.

Maybe the parents should smarten up and not let their kids eat junk every day......

[sandra bomford]

what is going to happen is the kids a going to go out for lunch and someone who works in the kitchen is going to loose their job and the school will loose money. i think they are going way over the top.kids need to be more active and make the right choices most of the timeand have a treat some of the time

[Tom Robertson]

Maybe the School board should dismiss all trustees and staff having fat asses and 6 pack stomachs for not being appropriate role models for our children.

[Dave]

I think it's time to turn the clocks back 30 or 40 years and put things on permanent pause.

Back in the days when running with scissors was not even thought of, before seat belts we're thought of let alone self operating. Before teachers lost the ability to administer punishments for misbehavior in the classrooms, and low and behold before food was " chemically infused with crap"

If kids actually ate real food without pre-manufactured tampering of any kind some might actually get over being allergic to peanuts or yellow dye number 5 etc...

Obesity is not just about diet and exercise, it is gentics and that can't be fixed altered or repaired by anything naturally occuring. Excercise is good for everyone, and anyone with half a brain knows this, but not everyone is willing to do that, and there should not be a blanket decision that is handed down for everyones benefit because a chosen few cannot be like the ones who can.

You can look back through history and see that over weight was an issue in all walks of life all races and colours. It is not ever going away nor is something you can cure or curb, it's life, live it to the best of your abilities and quit trying to control the lives of everyone else around you.

[kathy Hagan]

I think it is a good idea for the school to limit pop and junk food in the cafeterias etc. Parents will still be the ones providing their kids lunches and apart from peanut butter will be able to provide the kinds of foods that their children enjoy and will eat. Children are becoming obese due to lack of exercise so I would like the schools to increase phys ed time and leave nutrition to parents.

[Ridiculous]

I agree that school cafeteria’s should limit the amount of “junk” food they offer. But to ban it completely… you can’t be serious. When I was in school, one of the greatest things was when pizza or hot dog days came around (which by the way was only 2-3 times a year) and I certainly didn’t become unhealthy from those two little squares of pizza.
I once had a teacher who offered the student who got the highest grade on their math test an ENTIRE chocolate bar… that person enjoyed the chocolate, stayed healthy, and the class average on that test was 85%.
Instead of banning these things completely, offer them less often, and teach the students about healthy eating, and eating in moderation. One bake sale, two pizza days (pop included), and a couple of gummy bears a year is not going to make your child unhealthy.

[Josh]

I Hope whoever came up with this idea is going to supply the schools with snacks and lunches. It is much cheaper too eat junk and stay alive, then it is to, eat healthy and starve to death. If parents could afford to send healthy snacks they WOULD. plain and simple.

[Deb]

I think the schools should focus on teaching my children what they NEED to learn like proper printing/writing (which they are NOT allowed to do anymore)& reading and leave the nutrition up to me. Come on it is 1 meal (2 nutrition breaks) out of the day. If I want to put a treat or pizza in their lunch then I should be able to. It is so upsetting that my boys won't be able to celebrate birthdays with their class anymore.

[Kathy]

Why do people care so much about this? If you want to send your kids to school with pizza or hot dogs, you can. The schools just won't be provided junk food anymore. Why is this a problem? If you want your kid to eat junk, feed it to him yourself - don't rely on the schools. This isn't "dictating" or "nannying" - this is just a choice on what the school does or doesn't serve. No one is up in arms about the lack of haggis or caviar on elementary school menus. This is no different.

[DZ]

What a joke... My daughter is a very picky eater and we are going to have a hell of a time giving her lunches that aren't including peanut butter every once in a while but lets not get too far from what is really going on.

Less healthy options are being removed from cafeteria's which in the end is really only going to lead to less income for the school cafeteria's. I like the thought of making teachers abide by the same set of rules. I mean a lot of these teachers are just as fat as the kids too.

Someone else said it best when they said that kids will just go elsewhere to get their food... watch for the spike in detentions for being late. Or did they ban detention too? I mean isn't it unhealthy to delay dinner time?

Oh and to "N"... bringing up ADD...? Comon man... I'm no doctor but if that isn't the most made up disorder I've ever heard of! Kids pay less attention because they're bored... and they are going into school now smarter than ever... So let's not have the schools address that issue, we'll just slap some b.s. disorder label on it and then waste time on serving whole wheat pizza...

The school board needs to get its priorities straight. It'd probably be better to just educate kids in health class and help them make healthier choices.

But that's just too much work isn't it?

[S Griffin]

I have mixed feelings about this ban. For starters, I love the idea that schools are promoting healthy eating by removing all of that junk food. I think it is about time. However, I can see schools losing money because the majority of kids and teens that I know would rather eat a slice of pizza. Fast food is an arms length away from almost any school here in Hamilton. It would be nothing for a student to walk over to a pizza store or McDonalds and grab a quick bite to eat.
Another thing I like about this ban is the removal of "rewards" from teachers. I do not agree with this because there are some parents who are strict with the diet of their child and this may go behind parents' wishes. Also, not all teachers are aware of their students allergies - even though they are supposed to be. When I was in school, I received a treat that I had an intense allergic reaction to. Unfortunately for the teacher, she should have know about it and didn't and she was let go shortly after the incident.
I am most bothered by the fact that we are completely removing all junk food. I see no harm in offering a pizza lunch every now and then, or a hot dog lunch once a month. These lunches do not need to take place everyday, but they are nice to have every once in a while.
Overall, I am surprised to say that I like the idea of this ban. I think it needs some work, however I think that it is about time. As long as the schools don't start banning foods that the parents send in their children's lunches, I see no harm in this regulation.

[Allan Taylor]

I'd send my kid to school with pizza to barter with if it happened 20 years ago when my kid was growing up. Kids are fat because of video games being playing instead of road hockey, touch football and softball IMO

[Tom Robertson]

Will the trustees and all school board staff be subjected to the same provisions. If a trustee or staff member submits a meal expense for school board business and the bill shows they ordered a steak and fries with chocolate cake and ice cream for dessert this will have to be denied for compensation. Not even an egg McMuffin for breakfast.The board will have to require detailed bills to make sure staff are following the new dietary rules. Coffee pots in staff rooms will have to be banned with the employees picking up their own Timmies if they want a coffee. No more coffee and donuts served at staff meetings, dry whole wheat toast and apple juice will be the order of the day. Absolutely no alcohol should show up as an expense on any bill submitted to be paid by the taxpayers. Maybe the Chairperson of the School Board will post here to show us taxpayers they will follow the same rules.

[Steven Sheen]

As the saying goes,NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!!! And i'm sure if there were a time for one of these rule makers were offered a hotdog they would not turn it down,just bend the rules as to why there eating it.

[Real World]

I have been reading these posts and for some, obviously, you don't have young children in school that do pack their snacks and lunches. Yes, the schools do stick their noses in and yes they do currently, to a certain extent, tell parents what is acceptable and what is not. Changing what they are selling in the school cafeterias is simply a sideline to a greater plan. Next they will be telling what types of foods will be allowed in the schools, banning pop, etc. In any event, for highschool kids, they will just start going out for lunch to fastfood joints or ordering in the pizza. Kids are going to eat what they want and not eat what they don't want. We all know the saying, "you can lead a horse to water, but can't make him drink."

[Realistic]

little FYI on schools and policies. Neighbours daughter will not eat. She eats peanut butter and pudding. She refuses to eat most things. At 4 years old she is underweight. Parents sent her to school with peanut butter. It was sent home becasue of allergies. she did not eat lunch that day. They put pudding in. It was pulled from her lunch because of sugar content. She did not eat lunch that day. They said try fruits and vegetables and made her eat some melon. she threw up on the teacher. Teachers and school policy are encroaching on parents choice.

[Realistic]

for those saying people are missing the point. they too have. It has taken away the occasional pizza day, not the daily pizza day. Schools are there to educate, not dictate. Society should be free to choose not be dictated on what they want. Parents are the ones who choose how they want their kids to grow up and what they eat, not the school board. i agree that kids and PEOPLE should eat better but i also beleive in do what i do and unfortunatly the teachers and adults eat all this stuff too but don't want the kids doing it. educate them on whats right (you know do your job). don't take the easy way out and dictate. It is proven people are more effective when allowed to choose than be dictated too. People don't rebel from choice, they rebel from dicatation.

and if parents CHOOSE TO PACK GARBAGE IN THE KIDS LUNCH THAT IS THERE CHOICE.

[It's About Time]

I think it's about time! Gosh, it appalls me that the school boards are so behind the times. One would think they would realize the connection between giving food as rewards (and UNhealthy foods at that!) and the negative food habits this creates.

To those who commented that this initiative is "taking it too far" I must wonder if you have ever seen what 90% of kids have packed in their lunch every day? It's garbage - plain and simple.

If the school board can ensure for the short time in a day that they have these kids that there are only healthy options going into their bodies then kudos to them. Because my guess is that at home they are eating nothing but processed crap.

6.5 hours out of a day with a guarantee of healthy foods is better than zero. Have you seen how fat the kids are these days?

[N]

I swear, people who comment don't even read the article first. Six people complained that the government is restricting what parents are allowed to give their kids to take to school when the article NEVER even said that!! What IS happening is that the school board is cracking down on the amount of junk cafeterias are selling and teachers are giving away as "rewards" for good behaviour, etc. But don't worry, if you think no more french fries in the caf is censorship of Canadian cuisine, be rest assured - you can still pack lunchables, nacho chips and pudding in your child's lunch bag!

On the topic of pudding - people below said that a pudding is not going to hurt a child - well, that depends what they had for breakfast and what they are going to have for dinner. Did they have sugary cereal for breakfast? Will they have pop with their dinner? Then they have doubled their daily intake of sugar. For an adult.

In an era of obesity and attention deficit disorders beginning already in kindergarten, this reform in the schools is long overdue. Unfortunately most adults themselves are so ignorant as to what constitutes a healthy diet. They think pop 3 nights a week and fast food once a week is moderation. If you read the Canada food guide on what you are actually supposed to be eating you would be shocked.

[N]

I wanted to add, this reform actually gives parents MORE control over what there kids are eating, because this way the parents don't have to worry about what kind of junk their kids are eating at school.

[allforit]

I agree with the ban 100%. When children are given the choice for lunch, most kids are going to choose the unhealthy option. A lot of children are served 'junk' at home for their meals (chicken nuggets, hot dogs, fries, etc.) so atleast at school they will be receiving SOME nutrition! I allow my children to have treats and while I am saddened there are no more 'Pizza Days', I think this is a wonderful decision. Start educating your children about healthy food choices, and just look at how much sodium is in those pre packaged, processed meals!

My kids won't touch salad either but there are so many other healthy foods that can be put in a lunch besides lettuce. 'They' say kids have to be introduced to a new food atleast 10 times before they will try it so keep serving the good stuff and you will be surprised :)

[name is required]

The policy only outlines what the school and teachers can and cannot provide. Parents can pack their kids' lunches full of all the sugary, low-nutritional crap they feel like.

[Janet]

With kids, anything that is outside the usual school routine is considered a treat, whether its eating pizza or watching a movie like shrek. After about grade 2 (and then again in the tween years for some reason) kids are not motivated by stickers or pencils or toothbrushes. A gummi bear in school! How awesome is that? For getting an answer right? Woohoo! Maybe the reasoning is that only the smart kids will get fat and being smart is already enough of a burden?

Seriously, let kids be kids. Let them celebrate their peers' birthdays with whatever cultural symbol works for them, be it cupcakes or beef jerky.

Pack them a healthy lunch (an occasional pudding cup isn't gonna kill them), go for a family walk after dinner, and talk to them about how healthy choices will benefit them.

Keep the crap in the cafeteria to a minimum and ask them what they had for lunch that day. Reinforce good choices and talk about not so good ones.

Model good eating habits.

Oh, and I'd also like to see what's in the cupboards and fridges of those making these all-or-nothing types of decisions.

[Mike Russell]

I don't see what the big deal is. The schools are not telling parents what they can or cannot send the kids to school with, they are simply not going to provide certain foods.

If they start telling parents what to feed their kids then I would have a problem. I still get ticked off hearing about the peanut ban. Peanut butter was a staple food for me when I was growing up.

[Gene Simmons]

This is rapidly turning into a Pink Floyd music video. Oh and lets burn all the books while we're at it...Ray Bradbury might have been onto something.

[Tom Robertson]

I wonder if the people who are dictating this are as strict with their own diets and what they allow into their homes.

[Old Fart]

This is the same education system that sends students to university that can't read or write! They pass the student to the next grade regardless of the student's ability to do the work. If they spent more time & talent actually TEACHING instead of waisting my money telling parents how they think the children should be raised..............

[Peter Michael]

Glad I'm not in school anymore. Sure it's a good idea to eat healthy but treats are a good thing too.

That said, I had friends that ate junk food all the time from elementary school to high school and while not healthy, none were fat or obese.

I predict McDonald's and other grease providing fast food outlets will be banned by the end of the decade.

[Stormin norman]

This is crazy. Just another chapter in Dalton's nannystate.

[Cathy]

It seems these days we are being dictated a lot about what we can and can not do and it is intruding into our own personal space. Whatever happened to Canada being a free country. Right EH!! It is one thing for the schools to decide on what they will sell there, but it's another to tell parents what they can and cannot send to school with their children. I know for one thing, if I put a salad in my child's lunch... he won't touch it, and then the school will be complaining I am neglecting my children. Where does it end? I pack a healthy lunch for my children and I do let my children indulge in snacks. They are of healthy weight and are physically active in outside sports. It is up to the parents. We are raising our children, not the schools, not the City, not the Province, but us.

[Realistic]

They are going too far. They have started telling parents what there kids can bring to school too. No peanuts because of allergies is fine but now they are telling them no pudding because of sugar. If the schools want to stop supplying these things every day fine but stop telling people what to do. Your educators, not dictators. Oh and pizza and hot dogs occassionally. ITS CALLED A TREAT because they LIKE IT. We like to enjoy life before we die.