{"id":84,"date":"2015-11-18T11:47:12","date_gmt":"2015-11-18T16:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/acutabove.wpengine.com\/?p=84"},"modified":"2015-12-03T15:22:47","modified_gmt":"2015-12-03T20:22:47","slug":"usda-sets-standards-for-school-food-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acutabove.mipamsu.org\/?p=84","title":{"rendered":"USDA sets standards for school food"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Abby Bryson<\/strong>
\nThe Sailors’ Log
\nMona Shores HS
\n1st Place
\nDivision 3, News Writing
\nNews Analysis<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

A mandate from the United States\u00a0Department of Agriculture (USDA),\u00a0called Smart Snacks in Schools, will radically\u00a0affect snacks that are allowed to be\u00a0sold in schools.<\/p>\n

The mandate, headed by First Lady\u00a0Michelle Obama, was signed by the\u00a0President and sets the standards for\u00a0school food to be more healthy within the\u00a0next 15 years.<\/p>\n

A strict set of guidelines limiting the\u00a0calories, fat, sugar, and ingredients in\u00a0school food will be put into place eventually,\u00a0high school principal Jennifer\u00a0Bustard said. The guidelines are for foods\u00a0sold from midnight to a half hour after\u00a0school ends but do not apply to concession\u00a0stands and weekend events.<\/p>\n

The Shores District does not have an\u00a0official policy at this time; however, a\u00a0potential policy has been proposed and\u00a0may be approved later this school year,\u00a0Bustard said. For now, Bustard said she is\u00a0letting teachers who fundraise know early\u00a0so they can adjust what they sell to meet\u00a0these new standards.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told the teachers (whom the mandate\u00a0directly affects) to ask the kids what\u00a0on the list of healthy snacks they would\u00a0buy,\u201d Bustard said. \u201cLet that be the basis\u00a0for your fundraising.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although this mandate is being proposed\u00a0to help students make healthy decisions,\u00a0some staff, including Bustard, said\u00a0that it places overpowering restrictions\u00a0on a decision that should be a choice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think people should have to right\u00a0to choose what they eat,\u201d Bustard said.\u00a0\u201cWe should be teaching a healthy decision-\u00a0making process, but at the end of the\u00a0day, people should be able to choose what\u00a0they eat. If one day, (someone) wants to\u00a0have a Kit Kat, it\u2019s OK as long as (he)\u00a0doesn\u2019t have a Kit Kat every meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Caryn Elam, director of food services\u00a0at Shores, said she agrees with Bustard\u00a0that the mandate should help teach students\u00a0healthy choices.<\/p>\n

\u201cSchool is a place of learning,\u00a0including learning about healthy eating,\u201d\u00a0Elam said. \u201cWhen we show students that\u00a0healthy food can taste good and teach\u00a0them what healthy portions sizes look \u00a0like, etc., they learn important lessons.\u00a0Also, there are many children who do\u00a0not get much to eat at home and getting\u00a0a healthy breakfast and lunch at school is\u00a0super important as those may be the only\u00a0meals they get that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, Elam said the mandate only\u00a0restricts what can be sold to students;\u00a0meaning students can still have class parties\u00a0and occasional treats given to them.\u00a0\u201cI do wish that the rule only affected actual school hours so that fundraising\u00a0groups could still try to sell their wares\u00a0immediately before and after school,\u201d\u00a0Elam said. \u201cThat would be a good compromise.\u00a0However, by participating in\u00a0the National School Lunch Program and\u00a0following all their guidelines, our school\u00a0district gets valuable reimbursements and\u00a0financial support so we can help needier\u00a0students, and we can also say with confidence\u00a0that Mona Shores students are\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>eating healthy, whole grain, low fat, and\u00a0low sodium foods. That\u2019s a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Choir director Shawn Lawton, whose\u00a0organizations have been selling candy\u00a0and other snacks for about eight years,\u00a0said he will have to get rid of the candy\u00a0and a few other items that he sells in order\u00a0to comply with the new mandate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m unimpressed with the guidelines,\u201d\u00a0Lawton said. \u201cThey\u2019ve replaced\u00a0fat with stuff that\u2019s not real. It\u2019s science;\u00a0it\u2019s not really food.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawton said he typically made about\u00a0$4,000 to $5,000 a year selling candy\u00a0and other snacks at the beginning of each\u00a0hour to his students.<\/p>\n

\u201c(The mandate) eliminates (my fundraising),\u00a0and that is the money that I\u00a0use for a lot of student-based projects,\u201d\u00a0Lawton said. \u201cIf I choose not to sell the\u00a0healthy-type snacks that are being recommended\u00a0by the government, which I don\u2019t\u00a0plan to do because I\u2019ve tasted some of\u00a0them and they\u2019re honestly kind of gross\u00a0tasting, then I won\u2019t have that income.\u00a0Either I\u2019m going to have to stop funding\u00a0those things or find another income\u00a0source, and that\u2019s never fun to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Girls\u2019 cross country coach Heather\u00a0Hall, who also teaches psychology, sells\u00a0candy and snacks throughout the day. She\u00a0said she has been selling for three years\u00a0and makes about a couple hundred dollars\u00a0a month for the girls\u2019 cross country team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI understand that it\u2019s a good thing that\u00a0we\u2019re getting people healthier, but it\u2019s\u00a0messing up my fundraising,\u201d Hall said.\u00a0\u201cWe do need to have a healthier society.\u00a0(But,) that was my main source of income\u00a0for my team. It\u2019s a little disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, social studies teacher Jason\u00a0Crago, who is also the varsity softball\u00a0coach, has been selling healthy snacks\u00a0and agrees with the USDA\u2019s mandate. For\u00a0about four years, Crago said he has been\u00a0selling fresh fruit, such as bananas and\u00a0apples, to raise funds for his team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s a good thing to get people to\u00a0eat fresh fruit, especially in the fall when\u00a0we have it fresh in Michigan,\u201d Crago said.\u00a0\u201cWe have way too much access to sugar\u00a0in the United States. I think the more\u00a0you limit that in schools, the better. The\u00a0pop machines still are a big seller in the\u00a0school, so I think there\u2019s some ways to go,\u00a0but limiting candy is a good thing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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