Children Reach for High-Grade Fuel for Mind and Body   

As we focus on our children going back to school, we naturally want to know what they need: pencils, pens, paper and crayons are commonly found and, in the case of my grandson, an expensive calculator is required. And, this year an unusual item has been added to the list in many schools-good food. "Good food" and "school" have not been uttered in the same sentence in the past. So what has changed?

Let's do a quick rewind to the 1980's and 90's. When I was working as an elementary school administrator, most of the teachers said they wouldn't eat the food in the cafeteria because it made them gain weight...rapidly. Later as a superintendent, I learned from my food service manager that one tablespoon of catsup counted as one serving of vegetables. I was appalled! At the time, I didn't know how to fix this since the guidelines came from the federal government.

So where did the impetus for including good food come from this year? Was it from parents, grandparents, dieticians, the medical field, teachers or school administrators? The primary source is one you would least expect...our military.

The national school lunch program is commanding much attention from retired military chiefs. Why? They say the physical condition of our children and young people is deplorable, and something needs to be done about it. "School lunches are a national security threat."

"...27 percent of all Americans, ages 17-24, are too overweight to join the military," according to an online article, dated April 20, 2010.

Ironically, it was at the urging of the military that the school lunch program was started after World War II as a "measure of national security." How so? People were too scrawny and undernourished to do well in the military.

So now the retired military chiefs are holding school lunches responsible for the unhealthy, overweight condition of our children and young people through age 24. Think about that one for a bit. First, many children bring lunches from home, get them from vending machines or buy them outside of school.

Second, many in the military have been discharged in recent years because of being too fat-obviously unrelated to school lunches. Could this mean that the food served in the military is not healthy either? Could it be related to poor personal choices too?

Third, our society at large is overweight. We have become very sedentary. Our children have been allowed to sit at the television or the computer for hours at a time. Then they sit at school for many more hours. On week-ends and summers our young people add sitting and talking to friends or going to movies to their activities.

Finally, let's look at the real culprits in the rise in weight and the increase in both childhood and adult diabetes and many other health conditions. Let's examine the food industry with all the chemicals, food additives, sugars and artificial sweeteners added as well as GMO foods, feed lots, processed foods and legislation designed to squelch organic, wholesome foods and supplements. I suspect that a thorough investigation would discover deep pockets. And, let's not overlook all of the sources of pollution and the long-term effects of toxins in our water, earth, air, clothing, building materials, pesticides, and more.

Having spewed out this food for thought, I applaud the efforts of these chiefs for drawing attention to this national problem. They recommend school lunches with less fat, sodium, sugar and junk food, including replacing vending machine food with healthy choices. They support adding more fruits and vegetables, including salad bars. They also want more students to be eligible for the school lunch program. Sounds like sage advice, albeit a limited perspective.

Some of our local and area schools have already made plans for providing healthier foods via buffets and salad bars. With an array of tempting food, our young people can reach for, and select, foods that support a sense of well-being. They'll feel better, develop a healthier immune system, have a stronger body and be happier.

Eating healthier gives our children (and us) the high performance fuel they need to learn better, retain more, have more physical energy and feel mentally alert and motivated. Food fuels the body and the mind. Feeding children a cheaper, lower grade of fuel or the wrong type of fuel results in sluggish, lethargic behavior and poor performance.

Would you fill your tank with ethanol (E-85), a cheaper, readily available flex-fuel, if your vehicle requires premium unleaded (89 octane)? Of course not because your car wouldn't give you the speed and performance you expect. You'd give it what it needs to function at its best even though it costs a little more at first. It's an investment that will pay off later with lower maintenance costs and greater reliability. So let's make our children's health and physical and mental well-being our #1 priority by giving them what they need as well. 

If we think we can continue to feed our children (and ourselves) D-grade food and get A-grade results, we are delusional. Junk in yields junk out. Our children will soon be our country's leaders, defenders and decision makers. How can we trust our leaders to make good decisions if they've grown up on junk fuel, incapable of making wise choices?

Making healthy choices is a skill our children and young adults need to learn. We, as guardians of our children, can promote this by allowing children to choose from several healthy options. Do you want tomatoes or cucumbers on your salad? Would you like to do your homework now or after dinner? Would you like to ride your bike or go for a walk now?

Now what's left is the most challenging part of change: education and the buy-in. Many children don't eat healthy food at home. Their parents don't eat healthy food or prepare it. The problem isn't limited to school lunches. What about how children eat the rest of the day and the remainder of the year? If parents haven't learned to make good, healthy food choices, how can they teach our children to do it? Schools and government can only control so much. The rest is up to the free will of every individual.

...let's make our children's health and physical and mental well-being our #1 priority by giving them what they need as well.