According to Cookie magazine, 75% of moms say they stress about whether their kids are eating healthy enough. I know I fall into this category, but my concerns have more to do with quantity than quality.
My daughter loves yogurt, rice cakes, vegetables with dip, and almost every form of fruit known to man (excluding canteloupe). If I let her, she'd snack on those all day....and she tries. The result? Mealtimes are a constant negotiation to ensure she is getting enough protein, as well as servings of whole grain.
My son eats everything so, at least for now, I don't worry about him.
But getting back to the percentage posted by Cookie magazine, with the fight to eat right being further propelled by concerns over the obesity epidemic and our increasingly sedentary existences, many schools are taking what may be considered drastic measures to abide by the 2004 federal law that requires most schools to write "wellness policies".
These policies would not only regulate the quality of cafeteria lunches, but also significantly control such sugary practices as cupcake birthdays and halloween parties. The magazine goes on to provide a bunch of recipes to accomodate these changes (colored yogurt masquerading as icing, and biscuit cutters shaping melons to resemble cupcakes), but at some point you have to wonder where the line should be drawn.
Are we going too far? What is the answer to promoting healthy lifestyles?
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Our last year in Prince William County, VA, a similar rule was passed by the school board. Parents were no longer allowed to send in cupcakes and sugary treats for birthdays and holidays and to take it a step further, parents were no longer allowed to send in anything homemade. Everything had to be store bought and a list of ingredients needed to be printed on the box due to the food allergy pandemic, some classes were not allowed to bring in peanut butter sandwiches due to the smell causing anaphalaxis! Exceptions included fruit and veggies and cut up cheese cubes. So...here's to your happy birthday orange slice and water bottle.
I am happy to say that in Craven County, NC; fried okra, pork bar-b-que sandwiches and "cry baby" slushies are available for lunch and I can send in whatever homemade, sugary cupcake I like.
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