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WORD COUNT
573
JULY 1, 2009
NUTRITIOUS
SCHOOL LUNCHES = HEALTHIER CHILDREN – by Ellie Hurley
Given all
I know about food and food system as an adult it seems slightly funny
that as a child, with parents who diligently packed me a brown bag lunch
every day, I was jealous of the kids who ate school lunch. I wanted the
pizza, the sloppy joes and the tater tots … and not my crummy turkey
sandwich on whole grain bread. I suppose that’s because I, along with
many Americans, had yet to learn the real impact of unhealthy food on
children.
Today, children and their parents are much more educated about what a
poor diet can do to a child. As we see childhood obesity and diabetes
rise, particularly in poor communities, the link between nutritious food
and healthy children is more visible then ever. While I may have pined
away for a slice of Grade D sausage pizza from the cafeteria, kids today
are actually fighting for the healthy food my parents packed me.
Recently in my home town of Madison, WI a group of fourth graders
planned an “Eat In” to protest the school’s unhealthy lunches. The
students are part of a group called Boycott School Lunches (BLCS) and
while their Eat In was cancelled due to pressure from the school
administration, student boycotts are taking place in other areas, like
Westby, WI.
The student push for a healthier school lunch could not come at a better
time. The Child Nutrition Act, which lays down the guidelines for the
National School Lunch Program, is up for reauthorization and it’s
important to note that those most affected by school lunch policy are
calling for change. They might be demanding healthier foods, but their
call to action opens the dialogue about what healthy food really is and
who deserves it.
At World Hunger Year (WHY) we believe everyone deserves access to
healthy food, especially our children … ALL our children. Which is why
we feel it’s important that The Child Nutrition Act includes, at a
minimum, not only free lunch for low income students, but also free
breakfast and funding for summer feeding programs.
WHY believes that healthy food is food grown primarily locally,
minimally processed and with the sustainability of the earth in mind.
Food grown close to home is not just good for our personal health, its
good for our economic health and our environmental health as well. The
closer the food is produced to the plate it ends up on, the lower the
carbon foot print that is left. And producing food close to home means
supporting local farmers and local small businesses, which is something
I think we can all get behind in these trying economic times.
So, to bring it back to the kids, it’s not just about feeding them
nutritious food, its about teaching them what nutritious food is, where
it comes from, and how to grow it and cook it themselves. It’s an
understanding I didn’t have as kid … I knew what I was eating, but
didn’t grasp the greater implications. Kids nowadays seem to get it, at
least a lot of them. It’s time to get behind their movement and call for
holistic change in The Child Nutrition Act. This is our chance to push
for, and get healthy and local school lunches for ALL children.
Please call your representative in Congress and urge support of healthy
school food locally sourced in the re-authorization of the The Child
Nutrition Act
--
Ellie
Hurley is the Communications Coordinator of World Hunger Year (WHY).
Founded in 1975, WHY is a leader in the fight against hunger and poverty
in the United States and around the world.
www.worldhungeryear.org
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