CAFETERIA LUNCHES

While many school districts are working to revamp their lunchroom meals, the fact is that most school lunches are not prepared from scratch and don’t use fresh fruits and vegetables; rather they are prepared with a “heat and serve” mentality.

Many foods in the cafeteria contribute toward obesity because of their high fat and calorie count. French fries account for 46% of vegetable servings eaten by children ages 2-18 in schools across the nation.

Many students who eat fast food lunches at school don't know that they have already eaten more than 60% of their calories in one meal for that day causing kids to eat more than their daily caloric needs.

Some school cafeterias serve fast food each week. Children who eat three or more servings of fast food per week have an increased risk of developing chronic health conditions.

Many fast food items are highly processed, and some items such as diet soda, have no nutritional value. Therefore, children who eat fast food items offered in school cafeterias instead of fresh produce, lean meats, and whole grains generally don't get the nutrients they need.

Ever since schools started serving fast food lunches, the lines have gotten longer. In cases where lines are long at the school cafeteria, many students choose to buy snacks from vending machines provided by the school which are high in fat, calories, and sugar.

A survey taken from 1973 to 1974 compared to a survey taken in 2003 to 2004 showed that the percentage of obese school-aged children jumped from 4% to a disturbing 18.8% because of the epidemic of fast food restaurants.

A recent study found that children who regularly ate school lunches were 29% more likely to be obese than their peers who brought lunch from home which is due to the high amount of fat in cafeteria lunches.

Recent data show that while an estimated 30.6 million U.S. students eat school lunches, only 6% of school lunch programs meet the requirements established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture because of their partnership with fast food companies

A la carte selections aren’t subject to any health guidelines which the school is required to follow. Therefore, a la carte lines contribute to obesity because the options may include a salad bar with high fat toppings, cheese bread sticks, bagged snacks, doughnuts, brownies and candy bars.

I have learned that not only do fast food restaurants contribute to obesity but schools do to because of the high amount of calories/ fat incorporated in school meals. I have decided to take what goes in my body more seriously and limit the amount of fast food I eat because there are many aspects that can contribute to obesity. This topic is significant because it is important to know what is going in your body and that the types of foods served in cafeterias are not always healthy. Also, knowing what is in cafeteria lunches can encourage kids to make their own nutritious lunches to avoid cafeteria food that is potentially a cause of obesity.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Child Obesity and Elementary School Cafeteria." Livestrong.com. Julie Boehlke, 23 Oct. 2015. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.
• Melnick, Meredith. "Is School Lunch Making Kids Fat?" Time. Time, 7 Feb. 2011. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.
• "Childhood Obesity and School Lunches." Dr. Axe. N.p., 05 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.
• "Can School Lunches Cause Obesity?" Ed. Reader's Digest. N.p., 12 Aug. 2009. Web. 10 Feb. 2017.