Originally published April 27 2004
Texas moves to make public school lunches healthier; 38% of
fourth-graders remain overweight
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
The Texas Agriculture Department has moved to make public school lunches
healthier by banning fried foods and limiting sugar and fat in meals.
It's a response to the astounding fact that 38% of Texas fourth-graders
are overweight. Agiculture Commissioner Susan Combs said, "Schools ought
to have a healthy food environment..." She's right, of course, and
it's downright unbelievable that public schools throughout the United
States continue to serve children foods that blatantly promote obesity,
diabetes, and mental and behavioral disorders like Attention Deficit
Disorder. It's nutrition at its worst. How do we expect our children to
learn anything when their bodies are pumped full of toxic foods and
drinks served at the school cafeteria?
To make matters worse, most
public schools continue to sell junk foods and soft drinks through
vending machines that kick back a portion of revenues to the school
district. Kids get their sugar high, and the school gets a few dollars
to help pay for books and salaries. Meanwhile, teachers get classrooms
full of crazed, caffeine-addicted kids who suffer all the classic side
effects of consuming high fructose corn syrup and other refined sugars.
At least Texas is doing something about it: no more fried foods,
they say. No whole milk. No high-sugar foods. It's about time. Now we
need a national ban on soft drinks and junk foods in our nation's
schools. What we need is a federal law that forbids public schools from
serving disease-causing foods and drinks to children. And, technically,
cow's milk should be off the menu too, but that's another issue
altogether...
AUSTIN (AP) --- Deep-fried fritters and whole milk are on the way out,
and baked chips are in at Texas public schools.
In an effort to fight childhood obesity, the Texas Agriculture
Department is revamping the rules on what foods public schools can serve
to their 4.2 million students.
Deep fat frying is banned altogether, and so are pizza fund-raisers
that compete with the cafeteria.
The policy expanded on a move last August by Agriculture Commissioner
Susan Combs that banned "foods of minimal nutritional value," including
sodas, hard candy and gum, during the elementary-school day and at
middle-school lunches.
About 20 states already restrict students' access to junk food until
after lunch, and about two dozen states are considering total bans or
limits on vending machine products.
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