Premium Essay

Healthy Nutrition for Our Children

In:

Submitted By thodo84
Words 814
Pages 4
Healthy Nutrition for Our Children
James Thomas
Strayer University
ENG115-English Composition
Professor Moses
November 16, 2014

“Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in America have tripled, and today, nearly one in three children in America are overweight or obese,” (“Let’s Move,” n.d.). Most of our youth these days “do not meet the recommendations for fruits, vegetables or whole grains, yet they exceed the recommended maximum daily intake of sodium” (“Adolescent and School,” n.d.). Without action, “up to a third of all children born in 2000 or later will suffer from diabetes, and many others will face chronic obesity-related health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and asthma” (“Let’s Move,” n.d.). Recent changes to the national breakfast and lunch program increase the availability of healthy food options and help school children meet nutrition needs within their calorie requirements (“Adolescent and School,” n.d.). Since most children consume at least a third of their meals at school these changes are vital to the health of our children. There are important decisions to be made about how to satisfy our children’s nutritional needs. We need to create new breakfast and lunch menus and decide how to obtain the necessary ingredients. There are many resources available at the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service’s webpage that will help make this transition a smooth one. The reference materials available on this site will help administrators and food preparers comply with new regulations and can also help parents understand the impacts of recent changes. It may be helpful to begin with an understanding of recent changes to regulatory requirements, so check out the Comparison of Previous and Current Regulatory Requirements on the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service webpage. USDA Recipes

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Educating Our Children About Nutrition

...Educating our Children about Nutrition I just read an article by Lisa Belkin, “Should Schools Educate Students Nutritionally?” Yes, they should, I strongly agree. We’ve heard the statistics. Our children are getting fatter with each generation. Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last 30 years. Leaving our children with conditions that were almost only seen in adults’, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even type-two diabetes. This is a growing problem that has a devastating psychological effect on our children. However, I believe that schools have the perfect opportunity to educate our children about the importance of nutrition, to serve healthy meals, and provide plenty of time for exercise and even educate the parents about the importance of a healthy diet. Educating our children about nutrition is one of the most important things that needs’ to be done at school in order to control childhood obesity. Teachers’ can educate our children about all the health risks associated with being overweight, but if our children don’t understand it does absolutely no good. I think the...

Words: 904 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Drink Healthy Case Study

...INTRODUCING HEALTHY NUTRITIONAL ALTERNATIVES IN PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOLS Prepared for Dr. Arthur C. Johnson, Superintendent of Palm Beach County Schools Palm Beach County School Board 3340 Forest Hill Blvd., C-316 West Palm Beach, FL 33406 Prepared by Heather Ronga, CEOl Drink Healthy, Corporation July 21, 2013 Drink Healthy, Corporation 123 Main Street New Town, FL 33415 Phone (555) 123-4567 Fax (555) 123-4568 July 21, 2013 Dr. Arthur C. Johnson, Superintendent of Palm Beach County Schools Palm Beach County School Board 3340 Forest Hill Blvd., C-316 West Palm Beach, FL 33406 RE: Introducing Healthy Nutritional Alternatives in Palm Beach County Schools Dear Dr. Johnson: This proposal is for your review introducing healthy nutritional alternatives in Palm Beach County Schools. Drink Healthy, Corporation is in accordance with state and federal initiatives and the Florida Department of Education guidelines by providing and promoting healthy eating to your students and your athletes while advocating health awareness. The progression towards a healthier student body is nutrition such as fruit drinks, vegetable drinks, and simple snacks. This partnered with physical education will lead to great success for students. Furthermore, eating healthy in school will lessen the obesity rate and stop students from feeling as sluggish. Students will be more energetic and have a higher success in academics, throughout the day. Dr. Johnson implementing...

Words: 5066 - Pages: 21

Premium Essay

Recent Changes in the Breakfast and Lunch

...Nutrition and Health: The Recent Changes into the School Breakfast and Lunch Mercy Becky 11- 02-2013 Abstract The present and future wellbeing of children is affected by the type of food they eat. Since children get most of their calorie intake from school lunch and breakfast, schools contribute to their lifelong health and dietary patterns. Schools have to be models for healthy eating habits. Improving school meal program is very crucial in our children nutrition and health. Especially as childhood obesity is a big concern in our nation and it is a cause for many chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes, blood pressure and high cholesterol. Different studies and researches have shown that school meals are risk factors for childhood obesity. In an effort to stop obesity and the associated health risks, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama to change School Lunch Program (SLNP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). The Law requires USDA to establish science based nutrition standards for all foods sold in schools during the school day. With the law signed there are different issues that come with it including the economic situation, the health of the population being served and the process and benefits of the program. Nutrition and Health: The Recent Changes into the School Lunch and Breakfast One of the issues related with the recent change in school lunch and breakfast is the economic situation. The government increased...

Words: 1134 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Board

...crisis that is unprecedented in our history. Obesity rates have skyrocketed by 300% over the last 30 years, with dramatic implications for our children and our society. Children born in 2000 have a 1-in-3 chance of developing type 2 diabetes during their lifetime, and 70% of obese 5- to 17-year-olds in a population-based study had at least 1 risk factor for cardiovascular disease. If the childhood obesity epidemic is not reversed, our society will bear the pain and cost of high rates of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis, and other obesity-related chronic diseases. The tragedy is that these consequences are preventable. We know that prevention of disease is cost-effective and ethical; treatment is costly and painful. How exactly do we prevent childhood obesity? It is not a mystery to anyone that today's children are eating too many snack-like foods and beverages, eating too few nutritious foods, and not exercising enough, although children's activity levels are generally more in line with recommendations than are their diets. Currently only 1%-2% of US children meet the recommended Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the national nutrition standards for dietary intake necessary for optimal health. Children's intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains does not even come close to current recommendations. If we know what our children need to be healthy, why don't we, as adults, fix the problem? Is it lack of education about nutrition; an inadequate food supply;...

Words: 827 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Childhood Obesity

... What causes childhood obesity? Childhood obesity is a serious condition that affects over 25 million American Children. It is very important to completely comprehend the scope and nature of this epidemic. Children spend the majority of their day in school and most of them eat breakfast or lunch at least once a day in the school cafeteria. Is it possible that high calorie processed foods that are served in school cafeteria’s can be contributed to childhood obesity? In this paper, I will discuss the effects of childhood obesity, what I believe contributes to it, the proper nutrition that children need to stay healthy, and what can be done to prevent this from happening in the future. It is important to understand what our children are eating at school and if the foods they are eating can potentially cause them to become obese. Childhood obesity has escalated over the past decades and is only getting worse. According to The National Academies Press, (2005) “Nationwide, roughly nine million children over six years of age are obese— with elevated risks of both health conditions, such as diabetes, hypertension and poor quality of life, possibly throughout adulthood”. Obesity can cause numerous health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and even death. Obesity in our children is now, more than ever, becoming a serious threat. Obesity affects almost everyone, whether it is a family member, a friend, or even yourself. I...

Words: 2525 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Improvements in School Nutrition

...Improvements in School Nutrition David Johnson Strayer University ENG 115 November 7, 2012 Improvements in School Nutrition Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years and has become a major issue in our nation. The obesity dilemma affects boys and girls of all ages, races, and ethnicities in the United States. Recent changes to school breakfast and lunch programs have been implemented to improve overall health and nutritional value. These changes are designed to incorporate healthier eating habits, accommodate more participants in a more cost effective way, and provide easier accessibility to the program. Nutrition experts agree that if the nation wants to make progress on the obesity crisis among children, what they eat in school for breakfast and lunch has to be addressed. The percentage of obese children aged 6 to 11 years in the U.S. increased from 7 percent to 20 percent from 1980-2008. In 2011 that number increased to 33 percent. These facts indicate a strong need to make changes to the school lunch program. Studies show that more than half of the calories students eat in a day are consumed at school during breakfast and lunch periods. Affordability is just as important as nutritional value. When making changes to these programs, it is imperative that we take into consideration the number of students who receive free and reduced-price meals as well as students who do not. Children who receive free or reduced-price...

Words: 850 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Obesity

...the US. Because of on the go life styles, fast food consumption and microwave meals, people have sacrificed their health. Instead of eating pure, wholesome foods, many people opt to eat a diet of packaged, processed and refined foods. Obesity is a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to such levels that a person’s health can be negatively affected. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have ranked obesity as the number one health threat in America, with an estimated 400,000 deaths annually. (Smoking causes an estimated 440,000 deaths annually) Being simply overweight is not as dangerous as being obese. An overweight person can easily lose a few pounds by monitored diets and exercise, and usually regains a healthy body and mind. Obese people cannot accomplish this as easily, no matter how much effort is exerted. Studies conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, examined three large, nationally representative surveys on food consumption conducted from 1987 to 1998. The survey collected data on what more than 63,000 people said that they ate. Salty snacks (crackers, chips, pretzels) increased from 1 ounce to 1.6 ounces, adding 93 calories. Mexican food (*burritos, tacos, enchiladas) went from 6.3 ounces to 8 ounces, up 133 calories. The studies concluded that people consumed larger portions of one third of the 107 foods analyzed, which included bread cookies, cereal, fries, coffee, wine and fresh juices. Also calculated...

Words: 2527 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Addressing Healthy Foods and Nutritional Education with Cleveland's Youth

...Addressing Healthy Foods and Nutritional Education with Cleveland's Youth Brenda McLelland Capella University MSN 6012 Unit 8: Designing Health Promotion Programs September, 2015 Abstract Concerns about addressing the nutritional health of Cleveland’s impoverished children continue to plague the Cleveland community. According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2013, Cleveland has the third largest child poverty rate among the top cities in the United States ("Hunger Facts," 2013). Insufficient resources to provide adequate food and lack of proper nutritional education for these children has a dramatic effect on the health and well-being for this vulnerable group. Not only does poverty have a direct relationship to negative child outcomes, but nutritional intake and education, as well. This article will focus on a theory-based health care promotion plan that will address the poor, school-age children living in Cleveland. Strategies will be identified in promoting nutritional education to improve healthy eating for these children in an attempt to improve the health and wellness for this vulnerable group. Guidelines for quality monitoring, evaluating, and adaptations of this health promotion plan will also be discussed so that it can be used across various health care settings. Implementing a health promotion plan that incorporates appropriate theory, research-based interventions, evaluative measures, and quality improvement metrics is pivotal if the health care professional...

Words: 3075 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

Changing the Way Children Eat for a Better Tomorrow

...Changing the Way Children Eat For a Better Tomorrow Changing the Way Children Eat For a Better Tomorrow The most important meal of the day for anyone is breakfast. Break-Fast, we go to sleep putting our body into a fasting state, once we awake our body looks for a food substance to break that fast; breakfast. “The federal child nutrition program feeds over 50 million children a day, 31.6 million of whom receive free lunches.” Fig. A USDA (2011) Mortazavi (2011). Millions of children across the United States depend on a well balanced breakfast and lunch. Not only do these meals fuel the body, but it also fuels the minds to enhance comprehension and retaining what they learn. “For many, especially students from lower-income families enrolled in federally subsidized free and reduced-price lunch programs, these are the main meals of the day.” Grainger, Senauer, and Runge (2007). Revamping the National School Lunch program will help meet economic goal, provide healthier choices for pre-school, elementary and high school children across the nation. In 1966 the Child Nutrition Act (CNA) was passed to create a milk program, breakfast program, government funding to start the program and a preschool program (Mortazavi, 2011). Apart of the Child Nutrition Act of 1966, it had to be approved every five years, most recent being scheduled for 2009 but was passed for one year to introduce the current 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act and the Farm Bill which President Obama signed in...

Words: 1289 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Childhood Research

..."Early Childhood Policy Focus: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity." Www.childtrends.org. 25 July 2011. Web. . This was a very eye opening article to read. I always knew that good nutrition and proper physical activity was a great thing for children but I guess I never knew just how incredibly important it is for them. This article talks about how we naturally think that our children in society today are getting enough physical activity and how that is not necessarily the case. Not only is the lack of proper nutrition jeopardizing their health it is also jeopardizing our children’s ability to do well in school. In this article children ages 2-5 scored a 60 out of 100 points for healthy eating. This findings in this article stated that children are not getting enough vitamin rich foods and nutrient dense foods. These children also need to decrease their saturated fat, intake of sodium and high calorie foods. Not only does having improper nutrition at the early childhood age put them at higher risk for obesity later on in life, it also jeopardizes their development, their readiness for school ad also have lifelong effects on adult productivity. Children in this day and age are all too often missing the very important nutrients and vitamins needed in their diets and negatively impacting the way that they are able to learn and how much that these children are able to learn. This article states that approximately 9.6 million U.S. children ages 0-6 years old are living...

Words: 698 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Childhood Obesity

...qwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwertyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmrtyuiopasdfghjklzxcvbnmqwer...

Words: 3846 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Concepts of Nutrition

...Introduction: In this assignment, I’m going to explain concepts that are associated with nutritional health which will include food, diet meals, snacks and many more. Also, I’m going to discuss different types of nutritional health such as malnutrition, deficiency and etc. What is nutritional? According to the World Health Organization.int/topics/nutrition/en: it defines nutrition as “Nutrition is the intake of food, considered in relation to the body’s dietary needs. Good nutrition – an adequate, well balanced diet combined with regular physical activity – is a cornerstone of good health. Poor nutrition can lead to reduced immunity, increased susceptibility to disease, impaired physical and mental development, and reduced productivity.” Nutrition is when an individual eats an amount of food which is linked to the needs of the body. As nutrition is needed by the body in order for us to be functioning well. Nutrition focuses on how our body prevents any diseases and harm and also how it maintains healthy lifestyle by taking in healthy diet. Furthermore, it also involves how certain problems such as disease occur due to lack of diet which is known us malnutrition and many more. What is food? According to Wikipedia.org/wiki/food; it defines food as “Food is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is ingested...

Words: 3250 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Eng 135

...the world advise individuals to eat diets that are rich in vegetables and fruits and whole grains as they play a crucial role in building the body and providing protection against diseases(Andersen, 2010). This work is going to cover the importance of eating healthy diets among young children. It will evaluate the nutritional value and how it helps in the development and finally the types of food children eat and how it influences their physical and intellectual development. General outlook The main importance of eating health diets is associated with the many problems of weight control. Following a balanced and health diet normally helps individual to lose weight in an easier way or it plays a crucial role in maintain a person’s healthy standards. Study has it that those who strictly follow a well- balanced and healthy diet have high chances of decreasing the chances of being affected by the chronic diseases. Chronic diseases in most cases relates to poor healthy conditions because of eating poor balanced diets that cannot sustain their bodies. The occurrence of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer normally arises through poor eating habits (Insel, 2011). According to (Freston) another major importance of eating healthy diets is that it helps in reducing the blood sugar level. This knowledge allows an individual to reduce the consumption of sugary foods like fruit juices, ice cream, white bread, and soda as they cause a rise in blood sugar (Murphy, 2008)....

Words: 3112 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

The Public and Knowledge

... Eng 115 We should teach our children a healthy eating way of life. The public needs to know that we can have a voice in the way are children are fed at school with a healthy breakfast and lunch. The Public Needs to know Our goal is to improve the nutrition and health in breakfast and lunch programs in schools today. The children need better choices in eating healthy. We should be able to provide them with the tools they need for success in life. I believe that staying fit and healthy is the backbone for our children’s future. The economic issues we are faced with are that it cost more monies to eat healthier and it’s time consuming doing the research in finding ways to make it less cost efficient. We have to change our budgeting around in order to meet the heath needs. Our kids are worth more than anything so we should show them that by putting their health first in our budget. Everyone is looking for the easy way out. We can be healthy as well as cost effective at the same time. There are special needs for our children and they come with guidelines. As (Kennedy & Cooney , 2001) mentioned, “It just makes good sense to me to save lives and preserve the healthy babies through the use of sound nutritional supplementation, rather than pay later. We can make better investment in America than guaranteeing the health and well-being of our children” Children are to be served a certain amount of each food group according...

Words: 863 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

The Public Needs to Know

...being on the rise in school age children, it is time to change the eating habits of today’s children. This change starts in schools by offering healthier breakfast and lunch choices. With the help of school officials, nutrition experts, and parents/guardians, our children can start to have their nutritional needs met beginning each day at their school. Healthier eating habits are becoming more important as the economy falters, health crises arise, and school performance levels fall. We are making those changes today with changes to the breakfast and lunch programs offered in today’s schools. In a report written by the School Nutrition Association (SNA) it states that “according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the United States economy had been in a recession since December 2007” (SNA, 2008). With fewer jobs available and unemployment on the rise, more families are taking advantage of the nutrition programs offered by schools. With more children being approved for the free or reduced meal plans offered at schools, children get most of their daily meals at their school (SNA, 2008). We hear on the news all the time about children going hungry, families having difficult times making enough money for food and bills. It seems like it is cheaper today to eat fast food than a healthy meal at home. The costs of food in grocery stores are slowly rising while people are still trying to make a living making minimum wage. With more and more children not getting the food they need...

Words: 857 - Pages: 4