NEWS ARTICLES
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February 5, 2010
For those concerned about serious health conditions (breast and prostate cancer, sexual development abnormalities, and now heart disease) linked to packaging additive bisphenol A (BPA), there's promising news: Earlier this month, the FDA reversed its stance on the chemical, saying it is now "taking reasonable steps to reduce human exposure to BPA in the food supply."
January 27, 2010
Don't make us tighten our belts on child nutrition programs while the girth of the nation grows. The government spends $1 million per soldier in Afghanistan, yet barely spends $1 on the food in a school lunch.
January 19, 2010
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the release of $25 million in grants for school food service equipment to help support high quality and safe school meal programs. Congress invested in these grants as part of a one year extension of the child nutrition programs enacted last October to address immediate challenges schools and food service directors are facing amidst state budget cuts. New York State is slated to receive New York, $1,487,348 of the total.
July 29, 2009
The debate over climate change has reached a rarefied level of policy abstraction in recent months. Carbon tax or cap-and-trade? Upstream or downstream? Should we auction permits? Head-scratching is, at this point, permitted. But at base, these policies aim to do a simple thing, in a simple way: persuade us to undertake fewer activities that are bad for the atmosphere by making those activities more expensive. Driving an SUV would become pricier. So would heating a giant house with coal and buying electricity from an inefficient power plant. But there's one activity that's not on the list and should be: eating a hamburger. Take home less: eat less meat. (Editors note: schools should strive to offer at least one plant-based entrée per day as a healthy, environmentally sound option.)
July 22, 2009
Research shows that drinks thought to be better choices, fruit juice, teas, and energy drinks, erode teeth. It should be pointed out that diet soda does as well. Take home lesson: water is the beverage of choice.
July 22, 2009
With health care reform the top priority for Congress, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is focusing her efforts on reducing childhood obesity, announcing a new plan to ban trans fats in school and provide healthier school lunches. As the first New York Senator in 40 years to sit on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Senator Gillibrand is providing New Yorkers with a seat at the table as congress debates how to improve the health of children and the food they eat each day. From her seat on the Committee, Senator Gillibrand is working to secure more federal funds for New York State to combat childhood obesity and lower health care costs. (Editors note: there is no safe level of trans fats – and due to food industry lobbying, food packages can claim they have no trans fat when in fact they have up to ½ gram per serving. Most people don’t eat only one serving. While the front of the package and the nutrition label may say “0” grams of transfat, you can determine if there actually is trans fat by looking at the ingredients label. You will know trans fats are present if you see the words “partially hydrogenated” or “shortening”.)
June 30, 2009
The federal government has pledged to provide more funding for the federally funded Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, tripling the total amount available for the 2011/2012 school year compared to the 2008/2009 school year. In addition, the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act may include a salad bar provision, with additional reimbursements for schools implementing the salad bars according to the guidelines of the policy.
June 27, 2009
Candle 79 and Payard Patisserie & Bistro put on a great dinner at Future Leader’s Institute Charter School in Harlem, and according to a mom there, it’s making a difference at home, too!
June 11, 2009
Chicago schools serve nachos everyday, loaded with saturated fat and sodium, and high in calories. Somehow, this is allowed under the National School Lunch program. Chicago is not alone. Many schools offer multiple fast food type entrees every day as an option, NYCHSF has witnessed this firsthand on numerous occasions, with schools that offer chicken nuggets, pizza, or cheeseburgers on a daily basis for those who don’t want the hot meal.
All children should have access to quality snacks, namely, fruits and vegetables
June 10, 2009
An audit released by NYS Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli found that junk food is routinely sold in New York City schools, undermining efforts of the federal and state governments and the City Department of Education (DOE) to promote healthy eating habits among the students. Auditors found that school stores and vending machines at 20 of 30 City schools visited sold candy, soda and other unhealthy snacks to students during lunch periods in direct violation of the Chancellor’s policies and in direct competition with the healthy lunches offered by the DOE.
June 3, 2009
Tony Geraci and friends (Antonia and Ariel Demas, to name two) are transforming school food in Baltimore from farm to fork. Next they plan do it across the country. (Antonia serves on NYCHSF's Advisory Board)
June 2, 2009
We just discovered this article from the April 2008 issue of Today's Dietitian. Recognizing students' nutritional needs and preferences, districts across the country are revamping their menus—and receiving kudos for their healthy efforts. Dietitians confirm that plant-based entrees are a good choice, that many children and teens are becoming vegetarians, and that vegetarian choices are good for all students. But buyer beware: providing vegetarian options containing cheese and other dairy and/or egg products misses the point of healthier choices. Dairy is the #1 source of saturated fat in children's diets.
May 19, 2009
The AAEM concludes "there is more than a casual association between GM foods and adverse health effects" and that "GM foods pose a serious health risk in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health."
May 9, 2009
Over-eating rather than more sedentary living is almost entirely to blame for
the rise in obesity in the developed world, according to research. A study of the US obesity "epidemic" - a precursor of world dietary trends - suggests that there has not been any significant reduction in levels of exercise in the past 30 years. It concludes that the surge in obesity is a result of excessive calories.
April 21, 2009
Ann Cooper has changed how children eat lunch in school on Long Island, Harlem, Berkeley, and now she’s getting started
in Boulder. Ann discusses her career, what it takes to create change, and the political climate of today regarding food. (Anne serves on NYCHSF’s Advisory Board)
March 3, 2009
A profusion of green products allows us to excuse ourselves from acting beyond our own households. But we can’t shop our way to safety. We must turn to politics, not just products, to solve our toxic problems.
March 2, 2009
In a new study, 186 four-year-olds were given regular carrots and, on other lunch days, they were given the same vegetables renamed X-ray Vision Carrots. On the latter days, they ate nearly twice as many.
March 2009
Watch two of NYCSF’s Advisory Board Members, Kate Adamick and Ann Cooper, discuss the problems with school food and what you can do about it. Then, watch Marion Nestle and Morgan Spurlock as they discuss school food. These videos are extremely informative and the Lunch Lessons video can be obtained on DVD. We recommend you show it at your Wellness Committee meetings, at your PTA meetings, and at any other venue you can arrange for.
February 26, 2009
The President’s Budget supports a strong Child Nutrition and WIC reauthorization package that will ensure that low-income children receive the nutrition assistance they need and help fulfill the President’s pledge to end childhood hunger by 2015. The Budget provides an increase of $1 billion annually for program reforms aimed at improving program access, enhancing the nutritional quality of school meals, expanding nutrition research and evaluation, and improving program oversight. Funding is also provided to support over 9.8 million participants in the WIC program, which is critical to the health of pregnant women, new mothers, and their infants. This information is on page 45 of the document, under the Department of Agriculture section.
February 19, 2009
Alice Waters, president of the Chez Panisse Foundation, and Katrian Heron lay out a plan for a new and improved school lunch program.
January 22, 2009
Seemingly small things can lead to big changes in a school, when the moment is right and the community is willing. But changes that ultimately cut across all disciplines and grades are truly remarkable, especially when they take place in an institution founded back when Grover Cleveland was president and California had only recently become the 31st state in the union. Still, that is what happened at Head-Royce School, a K-12 independent school in Oakland, California that has committed itself to greening its entire curriculum.
November 25, 2008
In 2009, Congress will review the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. This legislation, which is set to expire on September 30, 2009, includes all the Federal child nutrition programs, including the School Breakfast and the National School Lunch Programs, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and others. In 2008, the USDA held listening sessions and you can read the comments here. Note that certain comments are clearly made by the food industry looking out for their own interests, which don’t always reflect what is best for children’s health.
August 14, 2008
This school district found that a number of students enjoy vegetarian meals whether they are vegetarian or not.
January 11, 2005
Numerous studies have confirmed that SMALL amounts of red or processed meats can cause colorectal cancer. In this study by the American Cancer Society, as little as 2 ounces (that would be one hotdog, or 2 slices of bologna) per week can increase colorectal cancer risk in women by 30 – 50%. However both the news media and journal articles define small amounts of red and processed meats as “LOTS”. (Editor’s note: since children are more susceptible to carcinogens than adults, and only 1 hotdog or 1 bologna sandwich (containing 2 slices of bologna) per week increases colorectal cancer risk in women by 30 – 50%, what does this mean for our children?)
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Marion Nestle speaks at NYCHSF Politics of School Food Conference as Margo Wootan, from CSPI looks on.
Richard Linklater, Director, and Eric Schlosser, author, of Fast Food Nation at NYCHSF movie screening in NYC
NYCHSF table at Mt. Sinai Diabetes event in East Harlem
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