NY School Switches Up Breakfast Options For Less Sugar

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A new taste test around breakfast cereals made one school in New York switch its breakfast brand of cereals of Kellogg’s popular Kashi brand, to a small local upstart brand called Back to the Roots, known for lower levels of sugar, salt, and calories.

The local company’s cereal is also organic, free of preservatives and doesn’t artificially add vitamins, Breitbart reports.

Kids preferred Back to the Roots brands over other cereals, and the school will now be offering more of the local brand but still offering some of other big brands including General Mills, Post Foods.

The local cereals that advertise stoneground flakes, made of purple corn and organic whole grain ingredients are being implemented in the free-breakfast program across the largest school system in New York City, where all 1.1 million students are eligible for free breakfasts.

“Breakfast is really important to us, and we’re trying to get our menu to where we want it to be,” said Mr. Goldstein of the NY school district told New York Times. “In the world, we live in, though, there are so many constraints, so being able to offer Back to the Roots cereals for us is like a breath of fresh air.”

Kids favorite cereal was surprisingly the Purple Corn Flakes because the milk turns purple, Mr. Goldstein explained, stating that they let the kids decide their favorites when it comes to healthier options, but now the hardest part comes with getting the support of the district and proven brand acceptance by the kids.

Making the healthier choice the easier choice in schools for kids is vital to decreasing unhealthy weights and ensuring a healthier learning environment.

Roughly 13% of African-American and Latino adults are diagnosed with diabetes, compared with 7.6% for whites, according to a 2014 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The American Heart Association recommends children consume less than six teaspoons of added sugar a day.

Decreasing sugar intake in foods that are offered in school could help offset future health risks, where more minority children are at higher diet-related health risks.

To learn more about the need for healthier food environments in schools for Latino kids, click here.

By The Numbers By The Numbers

1

Supermarket

for every Latino neighborhood, compared to 3 for every non-Latino neighborhood

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