Michelle Obama Implements Salubrious School Lunch Policy
SHELLEY LIN
Staff Writer
More than one in five children between the ages of six and 17 in America are now considered overweight. Childhood obesity has been linked to diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and anxiety. To help with this, first lady Michelle Obama touted a federal healthy lunch program. She has changed a few districts’ school lunch programs to include healthy foods.
According to CBS News, the Laguna Beach Unified School District in Southern California is the latest district to rebel against the healthy lunch policy.
The purpose of school is to help children lead a successful and healthy life. Even though greasy school lunches can be tasty, they are neither healthy nor fresh, leading to obesity in students and the failure to fulfill a school’s purpose.
Healthy food allows for a better lifestyle for students in the long term. It provides the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients needed for the body. In 2010, Michelle Obama stated that “thirty two million American children will be given more nutrition they need to learn and grow and be successful,” as a result of her efforts to improve school lunches.
According to The Dairy Council, an organization , eating habits are typically acquired during childhood, therefore, eating healthy in school will help students advance healthy eating habits at a young age which can prevent health issues later in life.
Lunch supplies one-third of a child’s daily calories, so it is important that he/she receive good nutrition in school. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity in kids is on the rise, and cutting back on foods that have a lot of fat, salt and sugar will help reduce obesity. Eating healthy reduces risks for strokes and other cardiovascular diseases in addition to decreasing bone loss and reducing the risk of developing kidney stones. Fresh food is also better for the body as it helps avoid certain cancers such as mouth, stomach and colon-rectum cancers.
Some parents pack their children lunches from home because of the lack of nutrients in school lunches, highlighting the need for a change on the school menus. A sandwich, fruits, raw vegetables and a cookie make a more wholesome lunch than what is available on the current school lunch menu.
Simply adding more fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains will benefit students’ health. The healthier the lunch is, the more energy students will have throughout the day. Students can achieve their full potential in school when their minds and bodies are energized.
It will also add more variety in school lunch. More diversity of fruits and vegetables will encourage more students to eat at school. Many students who receive lunch at school usually throw away half the dish they choose. If students have more of a variety of condiments to pick and choose from, it is more likely that they will finish their food. They will also not have to eat the same meals every day of the entire school year.
This decision of making school lunch healthier is ultimately a smart one. Although some students will dislike Michelle Obama’s new and improved healthy menu, the benefits of a healthy school lunch are overwhelming. Having the energy to do excellent in school involves being healthy. School lunch menus serve unhealthy meals every day and it is time for a change to become bigger and better by starting to eat right daily.