Kids Will Eat Healthy Snacks if Schools Provide Them

Surprise, surprise: schools that provide healthy options in the cafeteria and vending machines help improve the students’ health. “When healthful food options are offered, students will select them, eat them, and improve their diet,” said Katherine Alaimo, associate professor of food science and human nutrition at Michigan State University. “Our study shows that schools can make the kinds of changes required by the forthcoming USDA guidelines, and these changes can have a positive impact on children’s nutrition.” The guidelines Alaimo speaks of is the “Smart Snacks” standards that are being implemented in schools on July 1, 2014. These standards set limits on the amount of calories, salt, sugar and fat found in the foods and beverages being sold at schools. http://www.sarticles.net/article/lose-weight-delicious-and-easy

 They will also be required to promote foods like fruits and vegetables, those made with whole-grains, and those that are low in fat and dairy. In a new study published in Child Obesity, researchers tested standards similar to the new USDA requirements to show how schools can impact the eating habits of students. Researchers found that schools that offered healthy snacks at lunch time or by vending machine were able to boost students’ daily consumption of fruits by 26 percent, vegetables by 14 percent and whole grains by 30 percent. Students were also getting more fiber, calcium and vitamins A and C. “Creating school environments where the healthy choice is the easy choice allows students to practice lessons learned in the classroom and form good habits at an early age, laying a foundation for a healthy future,” said Shannon Carney Oleksyk, a contributing author of the study. Researchers also noted that they measured students’ overall diets, not just what they consumed at school. - See more at: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/forums/range/read.php?9,26992