Each food item will have no more than 35% of its calories from fat (excluding nuts, seeds, cheeses, peanut butter, avocado, and other nut butters) and no more than 10% of its calories from saturated and trans fat combined with a goal of total elimination of trans fat.
School fundraisers, such as bake sales, may be addressed to match similar nutrition guidelines. Do you think this goes too far touching upon the sacred bake sale? Perhaps, but when you think about all the added sugar kids are eating in a week. (1-2 lbs per week) from birthday parties, soccer practice, and even from candies handed out by teachers, it is a good starting point. We expect our school to offer the best curriculum and set high standards, so it is essential that schools set standards in other areas as well. Rather than think of it as limiting, think of it as being creative. Instead of selling brownies, try a walk-a-thon, a car washing event, or selling holiday cards and gift wrap. Instead of just relying on fast food companies to deliver lunch, talk to local foodservice caterers. Or work with your vendor to replace cookies with fresh fruit.
Check with your school district and find out what is in your school's WP. Also, find out if you are under the school requirements for minutes of physical activity. Ask if kids are being withheld from recess (this is not an acceptable practice and takes away important time for a child to be active). A WP should address all of these areas and should have been created with input from teachers, parents, students, and other stakeholders in the community (generally by a wellness committee). Unfortunately, there is no penalty at this time if your school does not have a WP nor are there any penalties for not following the guidelines. Hopefully, parents and teachers will want to ensure that a guideline is created and is being utilized. It takes commitment from at least one person to ensure these policies are created and followed.Ahhh, but back to school lunch. What should a parent do when a child only wants to buy school lunch and it isn't healthy, or a child is bored with the lunches you pack from home? And really, does one meal a day make a difference? Yes. When kids get used to eating high fat food, this can form a long-term habit (fat does taste good). The time to set permanent healthy behavior is early and reinforcing during school is no exception.
