U.S School Food Finally Getting Healthier

School food in the U.S. is finally starting to get healthier.

The new trend in the U.S. school cafeterias comes nearly one year after a ban by top companies to keep non-nutritious and food high in calories out of schools.

This move was part of the fight in the U.S to prevent childhood obesity. At the moment 17 percent of children in the U.S between age 2 to 19 are too heavy. 17 percent in real terms means that 12 million American children are either obese or overweight.

One group, the Center for Science in the Public Interest has been working hard with schools and food and drinks companies to only allow healthy food to enter schools. An analyst from the group, Joy Johanson, said, "There are definitely healthier products in schools today than three years ago. But there is still a long way to go."

Last May a voluntary decision was made by the American Beverage Association and three of the big beverage suppliers: PepsiCo Inc, Coca-Cola Co. and Cadbury Schweppes to set up way that ensures schools were supplies with healthier drinks. The American Heart Foundation, William J. Clinton Foundation and the Alliance negotiated the deal for a Healthier Generation.

The result of this agreement is finally starting to show up in schools. January saw the introduction of flavoured milk drinks being sold at schools by the Bravo Brands Inc a company that is working with Coca Cola. The flavoured milk is low in fat, low in calories and it has added vitamins. The milk is currently being sold in 8,000 U.S schools and should be available in thousands more by the end of the year.

Besides working hard to get the drinks companies to supply healthier beverages the Alliance for a Healthier Generation is also working with providers of food to schools.

One of the companies that the Alliance for a Healthier Generation has managed to get to agree to providing schools with healthier food is The Dannon Company. Dannon will provide schools with smoothies and reduced fat yoghurts. Pepsi is also on board with the healthier foods in school movement. The company is currently adjusting many of their popular snacks, including Doritos and Cheetos so that they meat the health requirements set out by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation. Dole Foods is now providing many school vending machines with fresh fruit.

These changes are positive but slow. This may be for monetary reasons according to recent research. The report by the director of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale, Kelly Brownell says that $165 billion dollars is spent each year by kids under 12 on drinks and food.

One school district in Stamford, Connecticut is taking the health of its children seriously and has completely redone its school food menu. Stamford school cafeterias will now provide low fat low sodium meals. This means that snacks will not include snake foods like granola bars and low-fat cookies instead of the tasty but unhealthy doughnuts and cupcakes.

Salads will not be topped with a fat free dressing and fries will now be baked not cooked in deep fat fryers, eventually being phased out.. More fruit and vegetables will be provided and bread will be changed to whole wheat from white.

The kids at the school don't seem disappointed with the changes. They feel there is still tons of tasty choices and some are saying that the new food is making them feel more alert in the afternoon classes.

Sources
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/scn-sa-food1apr12,0,2215578.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines
http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1235695620070413?pageNumber=3
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?alias=healthier-food-drinks-slo&chanID=sa003&modsrc=reuters