The Bay Area is a cradle of environmentalism and a region with a rich trove of health and medical research and resources. In this blog, we’ll report on the deepening understanding of how the places we inhabit and the lifestyles we adopt contribute to our own health and the health of our communities.
For the first time in 15 years, the United States Department of Agriculture unveiled new standards for school meals on Wednesday. Students can expect to see less fat and salt on the menu, but more fruits, vegetables and whole-grains. The new standards also set new calorie guidelines based on age, in hopes of limiting portion sizes.
"When we send our kids to school, we expect that they won't be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods that we try to keep them from eating at home," First Lady Michelle Obama said in a statement announcing the new rules. "We want the food they get at school to be the same kind of food we would serve at our own kitchen tables."
Yet, under the new standards, tomato paste on pizza will still count as a vegetable serving.
To see sample menus reflecting the new rules, click here. To read The Bay Citizen's extensive coverage of school food in the Bay Area click here, here, here and here.
© The Bay Citizen, 2012
Eric Starson
Improving the diets of our kids might actually help prevent premature puberty:
http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/protein-puberty/