• Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Comal County News Online
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Technology
    • Crytpocurrency
    • Gaming
    • Gadgets
  • Sports
  • Health
  • General
    • Business Services
  • Travel
  • Press Releases
  • Popular
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Technology
    • Crytpocurrency
    • Gaming
    • Gadgets
  • Sports
  • Health
  • General
    • Business Services
  • Travel
  • Press Releases
  • Popular
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Health

Expert: How Parents Can Make A Difference In School Nutrition – Insider

by NewsReporter
January 25, 2022
in Health
expert:-how-parents-can-make-a-difference-in-school-nutrition-–-insider
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Chris Vangellow’s four children were complaining of bland lunches and small portions.
  • When Vangellow posted a picture of the school lunch, it went viral.
  • Now he and his son are working to change things. A dietitian says parents should speak up.

LoadingSomething is loading.

When Chris Vangellow’s four children returned to in-person learning after being remote for much of the COVID-19 pandemic, they noticed something different about school lunches. Now that lunches were free for everyone — a federal policy during the 2021-22 school year — the kids reported that portion sizes were getting smaller and smaller, and the food was becoming less and less appetizing. 

Vangellow encouraged his kids, ages 13, 14, 15, and 16, to pack snacks from home to supplement school lunch, especially on days they had sports. But he couldn’t let go of what they had said. 

“It got me wondering how bad it really was,” he told Insider. 

On January 12, Vangellow’s son sent him a picture of school lunch: four scrawny chicken nuggets, white rice, and a handful of dried-looking carrots. Vangellow couldn’t keep quiet, so he posted the picture to his Facebook, and it quickly went viral. 

“This was never about my own children not being fed properly by the school. This is about all of the kids,” Vangellow said.

Many kids in his New York town are from low-income households and rely on school meals for the bulk of their nutrition. What’s being offered now isn’t enough to get kids through the school day, let alone sports practices and extracurriculars, Vangellow said. 

The ideal school lunch

Elysia Cartlidge, a registered dietitian and owner of Haute and Healthy Living, said that having well-balanced, nutritious meals is critical to kids’ health and success in school. 

“Children are growing and developing and therefore require sufficient energy and nutrients in order to fuel their bodies and brains,” she said. 

Technically, the lunch that Vangellow posted a picture of meets regulatory requirements because it has a protein, grain, vegetable, and dairy. In practice, it’s a different story. 

“I don’t think most adults would want to eat that lunch, let alone children,” she said. 

In order to establish healthy eating patterns that last a lifetime, kids need appetizing healthy food. Ideally, a school lunch will be vibrant, tasty, and colorful, with at least three food groups, Cartlidge said. Although research has shown that the nutritional quality of school lunches has improved over the past 10 years, recent changes by the US Department of Agriculture have allowed schools to serve meals that have more sodium and less nutritional value, Cartlidge said. 

Solutions for better school meals

After Vangellow’s post, the school district issued a response saying that students are “allowed one more serving of fruits or vegetables and one additional nugget than appeared in the photograph.” 

But the district also acknowledged that clearly Vangellow’s message resonated, and parents and students were not satisfied with school-meal options. The district has decided to convene a panel of parents, students, and others to come up with solutions for making school lunches more appealing and appetizing. Vangellow and his son both plan to serve on it. 

In addition, Vangellow’s kids have already noticed changes to meals. 

“Our kids, as well as friends’ kids, have remarked that in the last few days things have already improved,” Vangellow said. “That makes me think that someone was dropping the ball somewhere, and the attention that this has gained has helped correct those actions.”

Cartlidge recommends that parents check in with their kids and educate themselves on what’s being served at the schools near them. If you think your local school system could do better, she suggests using the resources from the Chef Ann Foundation for organizing locally and advocating better food options in schools. 

Vangellow said this experience has shown him that speaking up really can make a difference. 

“A single post from one person has some great potential to really stir things up sometimes,” he said. 

Related Posts

lee-health-continues-to-advance-its-innovative-robotic-program;-brings-first-excelsiusgps-robot-to-southwest-florida-–-florida-hospital-news-and-healthcare-report-–-south-florida-hospital-news

Lee Health Continues To Advance Its Innovative Robotic Program; Brings First ExcelsiusGPS® Robot To Southwest Florida – Florida Hospital News And Healthcare Report – South Florida Hospital News

by NewsReporter
April 14, 2022
0

April 14, 2022 — Lee Health announces a first of its kind robotic surgery in Southwest Florida for minimally-invasive spine and brain procedures. Lee Health has added the ExcelsiusGPS® Robot to its robotic-assisted surgery program, which features the most advanced technology in the field of robotic surgery. The ExcelsiusGPS® is...

about-1-in-4-adults-has-an-often-missed-liver-disorder-linked-to-higher-heart-disease-risk-–-american-heart-association

About 1 In 4 Adults Has An Often-Missed Liver Disorder Linked To Higher Heart Disease Risk – American Heart Association

by NewsReporter
April 14, 2022
0

Statement Highlights: It is estimated that about one in four adults worldwide has an abnormal build-up of fat in the liver, called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD can lead to permanent liver damage, and heart disease is the leading cause of death in people with fatty liver disease. Because...

healthy-living:-new-drug-providing-hope-for-kids-with-rett-syndrome-–-9-&-10-news-–-9&10-news

Healthy Living: New Drug Providing Hope For Kids With Rett Syndrome – 9 & 10 News – 9&10 News

by NewsReporter
April 13, 2022
0

You watched your child hit all of their milestones: crawling, walking and even babbling their first words. But then, as they continue to grow, they start rapidly losing their coordination, ability to speak and the use of their hands. This is what happens to children with Rett Syndrome. It’s a...

cost-of-living:-see-how-much-your-spending-has-increased-over-the-past-five-years-–-sky-news

Cost Of Living: See How Much Your Spending Has Increased Over The Past Five Years – Sky News

by NewsReporter
April 13, 2022
0

Prices have increased faster over the past 12 months than at any time in the previous 30 years, putting pressure on already stretched household budgets.The latest increases have been driven by rising household energy and fuel costs. But how much has your individual spending gone up in the past five...

Comal County News Online

© 2021 Comal County News Online

Navigate Site

  • Disclosure
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
  • CCPA
  • Medical Disclaimer

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • DMCA Policy
  • Medical Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • CCPA
  • Terms of Use

© 2021 Comal County News Online

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT