9.10.2014 The vast majority of parents of school-age children across the country support strong national nutrition standards for all school foods and beverages.
These nationwide results showed the parents support healthier school food policies by a 3-to-1 margin. The results were released by The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), and the American Heart Association (AHA). PDF
The findings come as school districts implement the U.S.D.A Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards, which set limits on the fat, salt, and calories in foods and beverages sold through vending machines, school stores, and a la carte cafeteria menus. While these new nutrition standards for “competitive foods” are a big change in many states, California will not feel much of an impact from these federal regulations, as the state has already had similar nutrition standards in place for school snacks since 2005.
The nationally representative poll assessed parents’opinions of nutrition standards for both school meals and snack foods and beverages. Among the findings:
- Most parents favor nutrition standards for all food served in schools.
- 72 percent favor national standards for school meals.
- 72 percent support standards for school snacks.
- 91 percent support requiring schools to include a serving of fruits or vegetables with every meal.
- 88 percent support requiring schools to provide free water with school meals.
- 75 percent think salt should be limited in meals.
- The majority of parents are concerned with the state of children’s health (80 percent) and with childhood obesity (74 percent).
- Most parents hold a mixed or negative opinion of the nutritional quality of snack foods and beverages traditionally sold in schools and consider them to be only somewhat or not at all healthy. This applies to foods sold a la carte (69 percent), in school stores (72 percent), and in vending machines (81 percent).
Questions? Contact Tracey Patterson at 510-433-1122 ext 101.
