On Tuesday, December 11, 2012, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Board of Education adopted the Improving Food and Nutrition Policy. The policy strengthens nutrition education in the classroom and ensures that the last student in the lunch line has at least 20 minutes to eat. The policy also includes provisions that address the appeal and nutritional value of school meals as well as local food ...
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New Mexico's legislators introduced a bill in 2013 that would set standards for the nutritional value of foods served in New Mexico schools, as well as encourage schools to feature New Mexico-grown fresh fruits and vegetables in all school lunch programs. The bill would also require that food served in school lunch programs be purchased from New Mexico vendors when ...
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Novato Unified School District in the California bay area is a leader in bringing healthy, fresh options to their schools and removing unhealthy, competitive options. Serving a significant number of low-income families, serving nutritious food is important, since some kids may go home to meals lacking important nutrition. The district’s director of food and nutrition services, Miguel Villarreal, was named a runner-up for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) Golden Carrot Award for innovation in school food service. Mr. Villarreal eliminated red meat, soda, and most processed foods at the school several years ago. He uses the cost-savings from unhealthful foods to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers. Popular menu items include veggie burgers ...
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Introduced by California State Senator Bill Monning (D- Carmel) in February 2012, AB1678 sought to restrict mobile food vending near school campuses before, during and after the school day. Much effort has gone into removing unhealthy food choices from California schools, making sure that the healthy choice is the easy choice. However, those efforts are being undermined by mobile food vending that specifically and intentionally targets students near school campuses with unhealthy snacks. In March 2012, it was announced that the bill would not move further that ...
Read MoreA campaign run by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that challenges school lunch programs to make healthier meals has awarded 32 Mesquite Independent School District elementary schools with Healthier U.S. School status. This year, the district has revamped school menus to focus on fresh fruit and vegetables and has eliminated some of the unhealthier options. Each school receives $500 for meeting the challenge. The city of Mesquite is a city in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, and Hispanics make up the majority of students in the school ...
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Glendale fifth-graders at Don Mensendick Elementary school didn't just learn about childhood obesity, they developed policy positions to fight it. In May 2012, the students presented their policy recommendations to state Sen. Jerry Lewis (R- Mesa). Among their requests---get rid of flavored milk, only offering them on Fridays as a ...
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Feeding kids in Texas schools is no easy task, but policies at the local, state and national level make it easier for schools to give kids the nutrition they need so they can focus on doing their best in the classroom. The National School Lunch Program outlines national standards school meals must meet, but Texas has done its part to go above and beyond the requirement, ensuring that growing Texas minds get all the nutrition they ...
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In 2013, Arizona lawmakers introduced a bill that would require nutritional standards for all food and beverages sold in high schools. The proposed rules apply to vending machines, as well as a la carte lines in cafeterias, school stores and snack ...
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The Arizona PTA assembled a platform of legislative areas they champion for the 2012-2013 school year. The platform states that the Arizona PTA "Supports and promotes the importance of healthy eating among children and youth to combat the growing national epidemic of childhood obesity." The PTA also supports food access for all children. The group will monitor all legislation and will take a position to support or oppose any bill that enhances or detracts from the Arizona PTA Legislative ...
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