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Schools in southern Florida are implementing more changes to promote healthy eating amongst students. Various schools have started providing a salad bar, changing the vending machine options, and introducing more fruits and vegetables.
The USDA’s Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act standardized calories per meal and what types of foods must be offered. However many schools in southern Florida are trying to go beyond that to create. They were making these changes before the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which has helped the changes become less objectionable. They have gotten rid of deep fryers in many schools, and began eliminating some high fat foods (like hot dogs, corn dogs, and fried foods).
Although they are facing obstacles like the student’s acceptance and intake of new food, they want to continue introducing students to healthy foods. They know that changing the way students and children view healthy food is a slow process, they will continue. “If you start with kindergartners and first graders,” said Sheah Rarback, a University of Miami nutrition expert, “then they’re going to be more familiar with fruits and vegetables by the time they’re in 11th and 12th grades. I think this process is going to evolve over time.”
By The Numbers
84
percent
of Latino parents support public funding for afterschool programs
