We all know the way to a healthy body is a balanced diet and exercise. But we also know that’s easier said than done. However, with almost one-third of Missouri children ages 10 to 17 overweight or obese, it’s becoming more and more important to instill healthy habits young.
This week on Intersection, two dietitians and an exercise expert shared doable tips for parents to keep kids on the right track.
A student’s tray full of food looks nearly the same as when it was purchased seconds before it is dumped into a trash can during lunch in New Franklin, Mo., Monday, Sept. 24, 2012. School officials are trying new strategies to combat the increase in waste
Like the old joke about restaurant complaints (“The food is awful, and the portions are so small!”), kids across the country are complaining their school lunches have too many fruits and vegetables, and they’re leaving lunch hungry.
A New Franklin School District trashcan steadily fills throughout the lunch period on Monday, Sept. 24, 2012. A majority of the student’s finished trays of food still held untouched servings of fruit and vegetables.
Credit Chelsea Stuart / KBIA
A student’s tray full of food looks nearly the same as when it was purchased seconds before it is dumped into a trash can during lunch in New Franklin, Mo., Monday, Sept. 24, 2012. School officials are trying new strategies to combat the increase in waste
Credit Chelsea Stuart / KBIA
Salads are prepared for the students of New Franklin School District, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012. The amount of fruit and vegetables required for school lunches has doubled since last year with the establishment of new federal requirements.
Credit Chelsea Stuart / KBIA
Columbia Public Schools Head Chef Brad Faith reworks recipes to fit the guidelines in the test kitchen in Paxton Keeley Elementary School in Columbia, Mo., Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012. Schools can do their best to serve nutritious options students will enjo
Remember those 20 days in 1981 when the Department of Agriculture considered making ketchup a vegetable in school lunches to help save money? Those days are long gone. With childhood obesity on the rise, the school lunch program is getting a makeover once again.