School Lunch Case Study

healthy than what is served at school. Alisha Farris describes in her article "What gets packed in a lunchbox can be just as unhealthy as what 's served at the cafeteria" a study conducted that compared student 's lunches from home with what is served at school. In the study, the conductors looked through 1,300 school and parent-packed lunches of pre-k and kindergarten students in three Virginia schools. They found that packed lunches contained more calories, fat, carbohydrates, sugar, vitamin C and iron. These lunches contained less protein, sodium, fiber, and other essential nutrients compared to the National School Lunch Program meals. Sixty-one percent of lunches from home also had deserts while school lunches had none. Snacks such as chips

With the independence of driving, high school students are more likely to stop at fast food restaurants or convenience stores. Vending machines in school give students access to unhealthy snacks during the day. Students are more likely to eat these unhealthy foods in between breakfast and lunch. The article “Unhealthy Foods Bulk of School Vending Machine Choices” by Kim Krisberg states that the majority of vending machine food sold in the nation 's middle and high schools has little or no nutritional value, a factor that advocates believe is contributing to skyrocketing child obesity rates. A study was conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. This study surveyed 200 schools and found that 75 percent of drinks and 85 percent of snacks had little or no nutritional value (Krisberg 2004). Ice tea, soda and sports drinks make up 70 percent of what is sold in vending machines. Water only makes up 12 percent. Eighty percent of the available snacks were things such as chips, candy, and baked goods. Out of the 9,723 snack slots surveyed, 26 of them sold a fruit or vegetable (Krisberg 2004). Krisberg asserts “The billions of dollars invested in school meal programs are undercut by vending machines as well as a la carte food items, which do not have to meet federal nutritional standards and are often outside the regulatory jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, according to the

Bananas, yogurt, melons, oranges, pears, and grapes are all good choices (heritageihc.com).

Continuing the good eating habits learned as a child and demonstrated throughout adolescent years is what makes a healthy adult. Staying active during adulthood is also very beneficial. The best way to prevent nutritional diseases in adulthood is to continue good or improve lifestyle choices.

In summary, parents and schools have the biggest impact on a child’s nutritional choices in many different ways. Parents must be a model for their children and show them how to make good choices in regards to food. Elementary and middle school is where children continue to grow and learn about nutrition. High schoolers display set-in-stone eating habits. However, there is always room to learn and improve. In adulthood, the best way to prevent nutritional diseases such as heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and cancer is by simply continuing good eating and exercise habits. “Prevention is better than cure.” – Desiderius