School Food Policy
Over the years, schools have become a microcosm for what’s wrong with our food system. From meat and cheese-laden lunches to soda-stocked vending machines to visits from Ronald McDonald, schoolchildren are bombarded with all the wrong messages about how to eat in the one place that should be a safe haven. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Many schools are finding viable solutions, including salad bar programs and strong anti-marketing policies.
RECENT BLOG POSTS
School Food Lobby Flip-flops on Healthy School Lunches
School Nutrition Association includes such Big Food sponsors as PepsiCo, Domino’s and Muffin Town. Perhaps the most visible advocate for improving school food, Michelle Obama is now defending what shouldn’t be such a controversial idea: adding fruits and vegetables to public school lunches. Ask any nutrition expert what foods Americans — especially kids — need […]
Continue reading →Whitewashed: How Industry and Government Promote Dairy Junk Foods
The United States is in the midst of a public health epidemic due to poor diet. While much of the focus has been on obvious culprits such as sugary soft drinks and fast food, dairy foods often get a pass. The dairy industry, propped up by government, has convinced us of the health benefits of […]
Continue reading →Ridding Schools of Fast Food, Junk Food, and Soda Pushers
With the passage of the Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act of 2010, in addition to improving school meals, Congress required the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update nearly non-existent nutrition standards on so-called competitive foods. These are foods sold outside the school meal program, including fast food items sold alongside the reimbursable lunches, and soft drinks […]
Continue reading →Why the Other NRA Loves the First Lady
As I explained yesterday, I am writing one post per day this week to being attention to the new book by food labor rights advocate Saru Jayaraman, Behind the Kitchen Door. The book brings much-needed attention to the 10 million restaurant workers who toil everyday over our meals, often for slave wages. The National […]
Continue reading →USDA Bowing to Meat Industry Pressure on School Lunch? Guest Post by Amie Hamlin
The recent announcement by USDA that the agency is relaxing (for now) its new limits on meat and grains has garnered mixed reactions from advocates. Some such as Bettina Siegel say the flexibility is needed while others such as Marion Nestle are calling out the politics. I asked Amie Hamlin, executive director of the New […]
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