It seems there is a never-ending flow of overzealous school nutrition guidelines pouring from the federal spigot during the Obama reign. The latest 160-page government nannies’ dream includes a number of restrictions on what snacks may be available to kids across the nation.
Certainly, I don’t endorse an unbalanced consumption of fatty, sugar-laden foods for individuals of any age – especially students. Quite the contrary, I believe that eating habits take root in the formative years and, if unchecked, can result in weight and health problems down the line.
I do, however, think that this and almost all other issues are much more efficiently handled at the local level. The federal government goes overboard on virtually anything it does, and the guidelines set forth in the most recent U.S. Department of Agriculture proposal is no exception.
With school breakfast and lunch already firmly under the thumb of government regulation, the feds naturally went on to restrict any other food options. The USDA guidelines refer to snacks outside of lunchroom meals as “competitive” foods and set multiple standards for schools to meet.
For instance, the proposal sets limits for caloric content as well as sodium, sugar, fat, and nutrients. There are certain categories of food all snacks must fall within, and the few exceptions to these restrictions enact even more regulation.
To qualify as an acceptable snack other than a fruit, vegetable, dairy, protein, or grain product, it must contain more than ¼ cup of fruits or vegetables or provide a significant percentage of nutrients.
Not only is content highly regulated; the proposal sets forth a variety of serving size limits broken down among age groups. No student will have access to carbonated drinks until high school, at which point only those with five calories or less per serving will be allowed.
The federal government, in conjunction with teachers unions, is collecting more power over the next generation at a faster pace than ever before. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the trend has resulted in a marked decrease in student performance.
As students learn less and less in vital subjects and continually score lower than many other industrialized nations in aptitude tests, this administration chooses to divert even more attention away from the classroom and toward regulation.
If local school districts had control over their own community’s choice, there is no question in my mind that students would not only perform at a higher level, but concerned parents would hold administrators responsible for providing well-balanced, nutritious meals – even if that included the occasional bag of chips.
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If all parents would feed their children at home and stop riding the free lunch counter at school it would stop as no one would eat their poison garage. The only way these Corrupt Bureaucrats could stop you is if they imprisoned the kid in school. Then it up to the parent to go at lunch time and get them out and feed them a good lunch you brought. Besides if one checks, these provided foods are filled with poison chemicals allowed by the FDA. Just read the labels and if the ingredient list of words are ones that you cannot pronounce or spell it is a toxin. Just to give you one, AZODICARBONAMIDE. Just why do you think children climb the walls after eating an approved meal. Because it is filled with Chemical to increase the profits of the processed food supplies so your elected official can be bought. Enough Comrades, either get with the program to get back your rights as citizen of the Republic and if not just bow low to your new Messiah and his elitist and Petty Bureaucrat rulers.
Selective snacks within the schools is the local districts issue, and I believe most schools have taken steps to insure better nutrition is available. The government can’t make a budget in FOUR years, but have the time to take away Milky Way bars and Coke? Children burn energy so fast, my niece eats lunch at school, by 3:00 she is eating granola bars and juice, and still eats dinner. She is 5″0…90lbs. I think Washington has much, much bigger problems to deal with than school snacks. (BTB-if you watched the inauguration, mrs.o was shoveling food into her mouth so fast…….I bet no one would take a Coke from her.) We need to realize that OHB might have (?) a actual mental condition, and treat him as such. I am not sure of the actual name for it, but the symptoms are thoughts of grandeur, no one can be right expect that person, cannot be criticized, no empathy and puts oneself above everyone–as that person feels it’s their right and the are superior to others, they see themselves as much better than ordinary men.
When you have soaring debt, unemployment skyrocketing, natural disasters needing attention, people still homeless in the cold from Super Storm Sandy, murders in Libya (as he knows first hand) and a country ready to revolt, snacks should not be your main concern.
We are in a time that we need men to do the sensible thing and start at the top. Help America, help the people, don’t raise taxes on the ones who cannot afford the current ones, QUIT lying to them. Once we are back on the road to a better America, a stronger America….a proud America…then we should help others in need. Selling guns to the Cartels, even though it was suppose to be a trap to regain them and the leaders is not helping the world. Egypt, while in the midst of a civil war…should not be handed fighter jets, tanks and war equipment from us…for two reasons. 1) they are the enemy to do so is treason
2) we don’t have the MONEY to be giving away million dollar technology…we are bankrupt.. But our current leaders want to make sure your children do not have Mars bars, M&M’s, Hershey kisses and Coke and Pepsi. I see something very wrong with this way of thinking, and it all begins by looking at the characteristics of the leaders we currently voted in. Worry about candy vs nuclear war………which is more important for the Government to be drawing up and signing bills against? I’ll take care of my children….are you capable of taking care of the America you swore an oath to???
This reminds me to much of Hitler. He indoctrinated the children at a very young age. Obama should concentrate on the issues today. Instead it appears he and Michelle are trying to control their young minds. Power control.
Pretty soon the Government will be telling us what kind of toilet we must use.
you mean toilet paper.
They already do. A modern toilet can only use 3 1/2 gallons. You cannot buy a larger capacity due to FED regs.
Regulated coming and going
Are you kidding me!?!?
Now saving water (which is the NEXT resource that we will go to war over – mark my words) is BAD???
Are you THAT clueless as to how much we waste water? The number of Americans with their heads up their butts never ceases to amaze me. You deny the facts and believe in old men in the sky who will protect you IF you follow the rules that are basically all about praising him. What an ego!
I can’t wait until you’re out there drinking from polluted streams in order to survive
http://www.fee.org/the_freeman/detail/the-federally-mandated-toilet-still-doesnt-work/#axzz2Js4Lu6sK
“Certainly, I don’t endorse an unbalanced consumption of fatty, sugar-laden foods for individuals of any age – especially students. Quite the contrary, I believe that eating habits take root in the formative years and, if unchecked, can result in weight and health problems down the line”
BS!
Then why do you post this crap? Get over it, we have a Black President and a Black First Lady who I’m quite sure could wipe the floor with your fat cholesterol laden arteries!
WHY DO WE NEVER SEE SIDE, OR REAR VIEW PICTURES OF NUTRITIONIST MICHELLE OBAMA?? HMMMM. JUST SAYIN.
One of the reasons our kids score lower than other countries is because they don’t get enough to eat. Restricting food intake will make our country dumber, but I think that is what the 0bama regime wants. Dumb people don’t resist.
???
The point is to get our kids to eat healthier, not eat the Trailer Trash McD’s Diet that many rebels are on.
Don’t you even understand what’s going on?
When a person THINKS they (she) get a little power, they’ve lost all sense of reason. Guess Shelly Obama wants her day of recognition — after all, she has the mouth piece of a ‘bull’ horn !