Should schools be allowed to sell "junk" food?

[Karel]

There's a new law going into effect next year about this. I'm not sure if it's just NJ or country wide.

My school has already start a lot of changes. Teachers cannot give candy rewards anymore. No bake sales as fund raisers.

I think it's gone too far.

http://www.njsba.org/members_only/policy_information_systems/nutrition-policy.htm

I don't know if this link will work but you can cut and paste it.

 

[mickeyfan2]

No, they need to set a good example for the kids. But sadly many schools are using this as additional income.

 

[tiggger1]

I think if the parents teach good eating skills at home and then as schools provide a healthy lunch then junk food and vending machines shouldnt be removed from the school. Heck Our school had its own fast food take out in it ( burgers, chicken sandwiches, fish sandwhiches, chicken nuggets and fries). they also served a hot meal, a cold meal ( tuna, pb and j) a salad bar and pizza. they also had a snack bar and vending machines. Depending on the day, depending on where i would eat. if the hot food line had something yummy i would eat there. a few days a week i would get a chicken Sandwich and sometimes If i didnt have alot of cash I would get a soda and a snack. If there wasnt a snack bar and a vending machines, then I wouldnt get to eat. what if your child doesnt like whats being served that day, would you rather them starve than have junk food? Also our schools stopped peanut butter sandwiches because of allergies. So what else is there for a kid that is a picky eater.

yes bringing a lunch from home is an option but how many high schoolers do you know that can remember to do their homework, let alone pack themselves a lunch! So I guess they go hungry..

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Our school has eliminated them at the Grade School building, I'm in favor of it. The High School building has one drink machine and one candy machine that are on during lunch. Teachers are certainly allowed to give treats for special occassions and birthdays etc are celebrated - that is fine.

It wouldn't bother me a bit if they loaded them up on trucks and hauled them away. If I want my kid to have a Pepsi with his lunch, then I can stick one into his lunch pail.

 

[golfgal]

At our high school they have pop machines but they are turned off during the school day. The kids can use them before or after school. They have poweraid and water in them as well. What REALLY gets me is that they sell candy and such in the LUNCH LINE at the junior high. Kids can use their lunch money to buy candy! We put a block on DS's account so he has to use his own money to buy that stuff.

 

[Kermit]

I think that moderation is the answer. There should be some food available that isn't junk food, but I do think that many schools have gone too far. It's especially discouraging at the elementary school level. If a high school has machines that sell juice, milk, and soft drinks, I don't have too much of a problem with it (unless the faculty is pushing the Coke or Pepsi brand products so that they can reach their quota and get some good stuff from the company). However, I'm strongly against those kinds of choices for younger children, and I have a huge problem with schools that sell name-brand fast food. Having burgers once a week is okay, especially if the burgers are reasonably healthy and served with healthy foods, but bringing in McDonalds, Dominos, or any of the other fast food companies that sell in schools is just wrong.

I don't have a problem with school selling unhealthy products and concession stands during games. People have a choice about where they can be when they're at a game. When you're at school, you're stuck.

 

[mickeysgal]

No they shouldn't. And it's just an example of schools putting financial gain through corporate ties over the interests of the children.

This is something I've always wondered about. I had heard that these companies contribute money to schools, the schools rely on this money, and this is why schools are reluctant to detach themselves of the fast food (candy, soda) companies. Does anyone know if this is true?

When we moved to this school district, I found out that there is a lady that comes around with a "snack" cart in the afternoon. Kids can buy candy, yes candy, from this lady. And the school sanctioned it. Can you believe it? In the grammar schools, my son's teacher last year sold candy in her class...every day. The district that we came from would have never done this. Aren't there universal standards that schools have to follow? This just seems so wrong.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I am a Middle-of-the-Road person here.

I see no reason at all for very strict and prohibitive policies.
What would be wrong with machines for before and after school, with snacks at sporting events, etc...

HOWEVER, when it comes to complete junk being paraded in front of kids in the Lunch Line. (especially in elementary/middle school) That is where I think the line needs to be drawn.

I have no problem with my DS having 'snack days' on Mon-Wed-Fri. But, when a snack is a blue-blaster-popsicle, with nothing but chemicals and dyes...

Can't common sense prevail???

 

[Twigs]

This has been a hot topic in my district for a long time now. There are only vending machines in our middle school and high school. We are now in the process of getting healthy snacks for the vending machines, and there will be a tasting among the students to decide what those snacks will be. It will be interesting as to how they do this, as we have over 1800 students in our middle school and over 1900 in the high school. Last year they took away the soda machines and put in Snapple machines, then there was the uproar from parents, as apparently there is more sugar in Snapple than there is in soda. The soda machines are on timers and can only be accessed after school.

As for healthy choices in the cafeteria in general for all schools K-12, the menus always undergo a push for healthy selections. For example veggie burgers are now offered in all of our schools. There is always a big controversy from parents that they give their child a healthy breakfast and a healthy dinner, so they do not care what their children eat for lunch. They recently took bagels off the menu. Then there was the outrage by many angry parents, that a bagel was the only thing their child would eat on the menu, so now bagels were put back on the menu, but with certain restrictions, they must be bought with cream cheese and I forgot what other topping, but no longer can a plain bagel or one with just butter be bought. It seems that whatever our nutrition committe (made up of parents and administration members) come up with, there are so many that disagree with it, and make it into a hugh debate.

Personally I know that my kids eat healthy at home (for the most part) so I am not too concerned with what they have at school, but I do like the idea of having healthier choices.

 

[Christine]

No, schools should not sell junk food. Or at least an extreme amount of junk food. They should have the basic food in there and that's it.

I was raised by my parents to eat healthy (my mom was on weight watchers most of my teen years) and we always had well-balanced meals. But, given the choice, as a 15 year old, I would choose junk at any time. If I had a choice between milk or soda, I'd drink the soda. If I had a choice between a burger and fries or spaghetti, I'd take the burger. Sorry, but that's the way kids are. Or I should say "most".

 

[chrissyk]

Nope, I don't think that junk food should be sold in schools. I ate way too much junk food in high school, and I think that it made me break out and gain a few pounds too. What high schooler is going to choose a salad or fruit when they could choose junk food? That's a rare kid IMHO!

BTW, our old town offered pizza and fries from the local pizza place for lunch every day at the jr. high. I know for a fact that the 6th grader next door ate this EVERY day for lunch. How healthy...NOT! He was an active kid and he was not even close to overweight, but geez...where are the fruits and veggies

 

[mickeysgal]

BTW, our old town offered pizza and fries from the local pizza place for lunch every day at the jr. high. I know for a fact that the 6th grader next door ate this EVERY day for lunch. How healthy...NOT! He was an active kid and he was not even close to overweight, but geez...where are the fruits and veggies

Our H.S. offers pizza every day and that is what my H.S. is currently eating along with most of his friends. As much as I tell him to choose something else, this is what he admits he eats. From what I understand, some of the other choices just aren't appealing or (we're in the South), are fried. Seems like fried foods are a way of life here. Fortunately he is extremely active in sports, in great shape, and I make sure that they eat healthy for breakfast and dinner. We don't do fast food as a rule in this house.

Come to think of it when I was in H.S. and bought lunch, I (and my friends) went for the junk food also. I would have never selected fruits and veggies. Pizza and soft chocolate chip cookies were the "in" things to eat.

Knowing what we know now the effects of healthy eating, I wish we could get schools more on-board with correct eating choices. Unfortunately, as some other poster stated, I think the junk food snack companies (soda, candy,etc.) are too much in the financial pocket of schools.

 

[MamaLema]

This question makes DH crazy.

The school teaches healthy eating and the kids are not allowed to bring any junk for snacks, only healthy stuff...but they have vending machines with chocolate bars and also are encouraged to sell chocolate for fundraising.