Random tidbits you should know about:
Jane Black’s Slate Article: School Lunch Is Not the Answer
Reactions from The Slow Cook: Whoever said fixing school lunch would solve obesity? and The Lunch Tray: Is It Fair to Lay Childhood Obesity at the Schoolhouse Door?
My thoughts: Childhood obesity is a big deal. It’s not something any school district can afford to ignore. Parents shape their children’s nutrition and culture from birth. But starting in preschool or kindergarten, schools have children during the heart of their day — school is your child’s work.
Schools contribute to the obesity/nutrition issue in a positive or a negative way. School districts should strive to make sure that if they were ever called up in front of a judge to testify about their involvement in the obesity epidemic that they could say with all honesty that the school district did nothing to contribute to obesity and that it was all home environment. Right now school districts that offer pizza every day, chicken nuggets three times a week, and no recess can’t say that.
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Jackie blogged with a trailer for Lunch Love Community, but what I really love about this post is her quote:
School food is a global issue and diet related health problems are hitting the poorest and most vulnerable citizens the world over. What a difference decent school food programmes could make if we cared enough to act. – Jackie Schneider
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Chef Tim Cipriano is cooking up some exciting flavors for our nation’s governors inspired by the HealthierUS School Challenge. (NH School Food)
Speaking of the HealthierUS School Challenge, First Lady Michelle Obama is looking to find some additional schools to sign up by June. (ObamaFoodoRama)
Also I think I like the new mayor of Chicago’s ideas about food (ObamaFoodoRama) Maybe one day we’ll have lunch.
Study finds asthma linked to gluten (SureFoodsLiving) — so interesting considering that after six months of school lunch, I was diagnosed with mild asthma! And then they are also finding a link between Vitamin D and allergies (The Lunch Tray). Recently I was diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency. Very interesting indeed.
Daily recommended servings of fruit and vegetables for just $2 a day (Feed Our Families Blog)
Using solar power for sustainable energy use in cooking (Civil Eats)
People are planting their seeds/seedlings for spring! Signs of Life (Dissertation to Dirt) and Seed Starting! (Sugar Spice) I cannot wait for spring — are you planting anything this year?
Also you can participate in getting food to those who need it: ShareUrMeal to donate to hunger relief in Philadelphia every time you snap a picture of your food (The Lunch Tray) as well as Eat out Thursday in DC to benefit DC Farm to School. (Better DC School Food)
And for laughs — feeding babies 7-Up! (The Lunch Tray)
I love how you framed schools' role and responsibility in the childhood obesity issue! I want to add that I think its silly for people to focus solely on the impact that schools can have on young children but also the older portions of the population. If schools engage families in their nutrition education efforts their reach will be greater in that they can influence parents and older children that never received this vital information during their schooling. We have an obesity issue in our entire society. We need to attack it from all angles or our health care system is going to collapse.
Hey thanks for the link. I am really trying to get our farm going, and its not easy! Been thinking about you a lot with all the crazy rhetoric in the media about teachers lately. Keep fighting the good fight.
Thanks for all the great links. I really enjoyed Jane Black's article, and agree that school lunch reform alone won't solve the epidemic of childhood obesity. And I look forward to seeing lots of positive changes in Chicago!
Why do we always focus on what kids are putting into their mouths, but NEVER "what they are eating". I truly believe that most if not all of our problems are with GMA foods. LEAVE OUR FOOD SUPPLY ALONE and our children and our families will be healthier. Things like schools blaming parents is keeping the focus off the real problem.