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JstAnotherSub -> RE: What now, "Cookie Czars? (12/5/2010 5:37:40 AM)
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The Wellness Policy has been phased in for a few years now. It has slowly reduced the number of things I can sell ala carte in school, and it has a few more steps to go through before it is finished.
My problem with it all is the fact that while all the changes it has made in regard to ala carte sales has been great the USDA ties our hands in other ways.
At this point, I can only sell 100% fruit juices. Gatorade was completely taken off the primary approved foods list, as it should be I think. Secondary schools can still sell the G2 or something like that, which is a reduced sugar and sodium Gatorade. We only sell reduced fat, baked chips and fruit based "cookies", Fig newtons being the one that I offer as an extra food choice.
The desserts we offer are fruit based, 100% frozen fruit juice bars, cinnamon apples and peaches, one that is a tropical fruit salad, except one day a week. One day a week we offer a cookie and one day brownies (reduced fat of course), and these choices count towards the minimum bread choices we have to offer per week.
All of these are great things. We have to follow the rules or lose our USDA funds, which would make it impossible to keep the lunch program going. The area I work in is a very poor area, many of my babies only get a decent meal at school, and I hope we can someday find a way to feed them in the summer too.
Now for the totally moronic part, IMHO anyhow. We are required to offer a certain amount of the daily nutrition and calories for the day in both breakfast and lunch. This is by the guidelines set by the USDA. Only problem is, these guidelines have been the same since 1995, the last time they were reviewed and revised. Think of how much more sedentary children are now compared to 15 years ago, yet we are still REQUIRED to offer the same amount of calories as back then.
Instead of a bowl of cereal and a fruit, we have to always add a bread, biscuit, toast, something like that. Instead of a piece of a breakfast pizza, which is actually a great nutritious product, we have to give them the pizza and a sausage patty.
Offer vs. serve was intended to get children to make healthier choices, and for them to only take foods they would actually eat, but the regulations we must follow almost void this out. Junior can pick only fruits as his sides if he hates vegetables, but he is offered many more calories than needed for this day and time.
USDA had promised to review the guuidelines in October of this year. We were so excited, hoping they would make changes to reflect the activity levels of today. That review was postponed indefinately, so we must continue to follow the current guidelines. Our tax dollars at work, and being thrwon away because the food is more than most primary students can eat in the time allotted for them.
I wish the USDA would forget about bake sales and things like that, and get busy on making the regulations required to get their dollars more in keeping with the times. As usual, the government is so busy sticking its nose where it doesn't belong, while things it could actually be useful at go unnoticed.....
Sighs....sorry for the rant, but this is a topic that I deal with daily. Write your legislators, and ask them to please do the things that could help children AND save tax dollars ASAP. And to keep their fingers out of the cookies jars!
eta at least in my district, no one can compete with the cafeteria sales during the school day. No bake sales, Chik Fil A fundraisers, etc. It all has to be after school hours.
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