Lancet Jades
05-27-2004, 05:58 PM
Boston students ponder slimmer pickings in vending machines
School officials will review healthy options
By Megan Tench, Globe Staff | May 27, 2004
When high school student Shirley Gomez heard the news yesterday, she froze, widening her eyes and gaping in disbelief.
If the Boston School Committee adopts the new nutrition policy proposed yesterday, Gomez' midmorning chocolate-chip cookies could be replaced by granola bars. Her gummy bears dumped for raisins. And her syrupy-sweet red fruit juice axed for vitamin-fortified soy milk.
''No way. They can't do that," said Gomez, as she and her friends made their way to the Burger King next door to Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester. ''If I wanted that kind of food, I could take it from my refrigerator at home. Why do I need to buy it at school?"
Joining a nationwide effort to curb childhood obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases, Boston school officials yesterday proposed substituting healthier foods for the high-fat and high-sugar beverages and snacks now sold on school grounds. School committee members, who praised the suggested changes during the board meeting, will review the new policy in two weeks.
The approximately 130 vending machines in Boston public schools are stocked with a variety of high-fat fare: potato chips, brownies, cupcakes, and ice cream. Beverages include high-sugar sport drinks, iced tea, and juice.
If a new policy is approved, all those items will be banned in September.
Super-sized snacks and sweets will be replaced by items low in calories, sugar, and fat. Beverages will include water with no additives, low fat or skim milk, and vegetable and fruit drinks with a minimum of 50 percent juice.
''It's a policy we've been discussing for over a year with folks from City Hall and the school department to figure out if there was an appetite to control what kind of snacks and beverages we offer to kids," said Jonathan Palumbo, school district spokesman. ''We think it's great to shape students' healthy eating habits, so maybe it will carry over to their lives outside of school."
Boston School Committee chairwoman Elizabeth Reilinger praised the policy proposal, saying that it reaches beyond vending machines and into all aspects of student nutrition in schools.
School officials could not say how much money they receive from vending machine sales.
Boston City Councilor John Tobin, who has pushed for this measure, said: ''It's a huge effort towards keeping our kids healthy. I think it's a step in the right direction."
The snack and beverage policies address items sold over the counter to students within school buildings, or on school grounds, in student stores, cafeterias, hallways, vending machines, and at athletic events, school nutritionists said.
Boston would join at least six other Massachusetts communities trimming down their junk food offerings. Billerica, Danvers, Gloucester, Natick, Wilmington, and Woburn have already joined the effort.
In some Rhode Island high schools, vending machines are stocked exclusively with all-natural or organic food as part of an experiment with a New Hampshire health food company.
Health-food vending machines may be the wave of the future, said school officials, because the state Legislature and the US Congress is expected to consider bills to ban the junk food sales in schools.
So far, some of the system's top consumers have not quite embraced the idea.
''I guess I won't be eating lunch, then," said freshman Tanisha Gray, who usually plunks about $1.50 in change for Doritos and fruit juice during lunch. ''You'd get more money from the vending machines with real snacks."
Sherrel Stokes, 15, and Akeem Brown, 14, said they worry what the move could do for their image.
''Nobody eats bananas or apples for lunch -- nobody," said Stokes, folding her hands across her chest.
''Who's going to walk around school eating an apple?" scoffed Brown. http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/File-Based_Image_Resource/dingbat_story_end_icon.gif
© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
---------------------------------
I think as soon as they see the loss of money they encounter, they'll change back...
School officials will review healthy options
By Megan Tench, Globe Staff | May 27, 2004
When high school student Shirley Gomez heard the news yesterday, she froze, widening her eyes and gaping in disbelief.
If the Boston School Committee adopts the new nutrition policy proposed yesterday, Gomez' midmorning chocolate-chip cookies could be replaced by granola bars. Her gummy bears dumped for raisins. And her syrupy-sweet red fruit juice axed for vitamin-fortified soy milk.
''No way. They can't do that," said Gomez, as she and her friends made their way to the Burger King next door to Jeremiah E. Burke High School in Dorchester. ''If I wanted that kind of food, I could take it from my refrigerator at home. Why do I need to buy it at school?"
Joining a nationwide effort to curb childhood obesity, diabetes, and other diet-related diseases, Boston school officials yesterday proposed substituting healthier foods for the high-fat and high-sugar beverages and snacks now sold on school grounds. School committee members, who praised the suggested changes during the board meeting, will review the new policy in two weeks.
The approximately 130 vending machines in Boston public schools are stocked with a variety of high-fat fare: potato chips, brownies, cupcakes, and ice cream. Beverages include high-sugar sport drinks, iced tea, and juice.
If a new policy is approved, all those items will be banned in September.
Super-sized snacks and sweets will be replaced by items low in calories, sugar, and fat. Beverages will include water with no additives, low fat or skim milk, and vegetable and fruit drinks with a minimum of 50 percent juice.
''It's a policy we've been discussing for over a year with folks from City Hall and the school department to figure out if there was an appetite to control what kind of snacks and beverages we offer to kids," said Jonathan Palumbo, school district spokesman. ''We think it's great to shape students' healthy eating habits, so maybe it will carry over to their lives outside of school."
Boston School Committee chairwoman Elizabeth Reilinger praised the policy proposal, saying that it reaches beyond vending machines and into all aspects of student nutrition in schools.
School officials could not say how much money they receive from vending machine sales.
Boston City Councilor John Tobin, who has pushed for this measure, said: ''It's a huge effort towards keeping our kids healthy. I think it's a step in the right direction."
The snack and beverage policies address items sold over the counter to students within school buildings, or on school grounds, in student stores, cafeterias, hallways, vending machines, and at athletic events, school nutritionists said.
Boston would join at least six other Massachusetts communities trimming down their junk food offerings. Billerica, Danvers, Gloucester, Natick, Wilmington, and Woburn have already joined the effort.
In some Rhode Island high schools, vending machines are stocked exclusively with all-natural or organic food as part of an experiment with a New Hampshire health food company.
Health-food vending machines may be the wave of the future, said school officials, because the state Legislature and the US Congress is expected to consider bills to ban the junk food sales in schools.
So far, some of the system's top consumers have not quite embraced the idea.
''I guess I won't be eating lunch, then," said freshman Tanisha Gray, who usually plunks about $1.50 in change for Doritos and fruit juice during lunch. ''You'd get more money from the vending machines with real snacks."
Sherrel Stokes, 15, and Akeem Brown, 14, said they worry what the move could do for their image.
''Nobody eats bananas or apples for lunch -- nobody," said Stokes, folding her hands across her chest.
''Who's going to walk around school eating an apple?" scoffed Brown. http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/File-Based_Image_Resource/dingbat_story_end_icon.gif
© Copyright 2004 Globe Newspaper Company.
---------------------------------
I think as soon as they see the loss of money they encounter, they'll change back...