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By Melinda Hemmelgarn m.s. | r.d. | food sleuth, llc

School Lunch Literacy

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Question: How do we get kids to care about the quality of their food?

Answer: “Let them taste it.”– Wendell Berry

School food is powerful. Beyond nourishing the student body, school food dollars can support local farm families, sustainable agriculture, and a community’s economic development by purchasing food locally when feasible and participating in farm to school programs.

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DID YOU KNOW?

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“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

– Frederick Douglass

W H Y ScHOOl l UNcH m AT T E RS Children's Health and the Future

LLet's agree: no matter what we look

like, where we live, or our cultural, politi-

cal, or religious background, we all want the

very best for our children.

By feeding our children well, we help them

reach their full potential. Look at “good”

food as an investment in their future. For

optimal physical growth, mental health,

school and sports performance, children need

“good” food at every meal.

What is “good” food?

It’s healthy – nutrient-rich, minimally-

processed, safe and delicious;

green – regional, seasonal, fresh, and

produced without harm to the environment;

fair – produced humanely; and,

accessible – available to all, because every

child deserves “good” food.bbbbbbbb

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T HE QUE S T ION Of c O$ T

R ather than asking if we can

afford to serve “good” food in our

school cafeterias, we should be asking: how

can we afford not to?

Perhaps you’ve seen the bumper sticker that says:

“If you think education’s expensive, try ignorance.”

Now apply that thinking to food: “If you think

good food’s expensive, try obesity, diabetes, poor

test scores, and low self-esteem.”

Budgets are tight, but lower-priced, poor-quality foods don’t reflect

the true high cost of related chronic disease. For example: childhood

obesity rates tripled over the past 30 years, with an annual financial

burden of $3 billion in healthcare costs and lost productivity.1

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“We need to protect our children at critical times of their development.”

– Linda Birnbaum, Director of the National Institute

of Environmental Health Sciences

Fruits and vegetables are protective against obesity.

Only 21% of youth ages 6-19 eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day.4

Nearly 40% of kids’ diets come from added sugars and unhealthy fats.4

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DID YOU KNOW?

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BUIl DINg T HE S T UDE N T BODY

Our important job: keep children

safe. The safest foods are free from both

bacterial and environmental contaminants,

and produced without synthetic pesticides,

hormones, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics and

genetically engineered ingredients.2

Children and teens also have unique nutrient

needs as they grow.3 For example, the brain

needs omega-3 fatty acids for optimal nerve

development, while growing bones and

muscles need calcium and protein. Candy,

soft drinks, and sweet and salty snacks are

heavily marketed to our students. Yet these

cheap products don’t contribute to fit bodies

and sound minds; the empty calories create

overfed and undernourished youth.

Children might look like little adults, but they’re really still under

construction from birth through puberty. Until fully mature, their

bodies are more sensitive and vulnerable to the harmful effects of

toxins in air, water and food.

“A D-Uc AT ION” Advertising and Marketing in Schools

Children learn less by what we say, and more by what we do. They look

up to parents, teachers and school staff as role models, and want us to set

a good example.

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“If we’re not modeling what we teach, we’re teaching something else.”

– Posted on a guidance counselor’s door, Kansas City Central High School

CCommercial media has become a

forceful “third” parent at home, and for-

midable teacher in the classroom and cafeteria.

Media both reflects and creates cultural norms

about values and behaviors, including which

foods are socially desirable.

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Children, like adults, think advertising does not affect them, but the Institute of Medicine says it influences food choices and contributes to obesity.5,6

The food and beverage industry spends $2 billion per year marketing to children and teens; $186 million goes to in-school marketing.4

Nearly all food ads viewed by children are for products high in fat, sugar or sodium (beverages, fast food, snacks, candy and cereal).4,6

Marketing in schools comes in the form of sponsored activities, curriculum, incentive programs, fundraising, advertising on education channels, and contracts with fast food companies to provide meals.5,6

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DID YOU KNOW?

“ The school system is where you build brand loyalty.”

– John Alm, President & CEO, Coca-Cola Enterprises, AJC 4/6/03

“ …it sends a clear message that soda is good for your health – why else would they have it AT SCHOOL? Seriously, who’s in charge here?”

– anonymous

From the food industry’s perspective: From a student’s perspective:

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mE DI A l I T E R Ac Y T O T HE RE Sc UE

Reading, Writing, and ’Rithmetic aren’t enough to educate our children

in today’s media-saturated world. Children (parents and teachers, too)

need lessons in “media literacy” so they can better navigate the thousands

of junk food ads they see each year.

MMedia literacy includes the

ability to analyze, evaluate and create

media. It helps students think critically about

the media messages that surround them.

Who owns or paid for the message?

What is the purpose of the message?

Who is the intended audience and how do you know?

What information is given and what is missing?

What techniques are used to grab my attention?

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T HINK INg cRI T Ic A l lY T O E AT W E l l

Get to know your school food, and involve your students in seeking

answers with these 10+ questions:

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1. Where did my food come from? Where was it grown or produced?

2. How far did my food travel to get to my plate? Did it travel by rail, ship, plane or truck?

3. Who produced and prepared my food? Do you know their names? Why are these people important?

4. Under what conditions did my food grow? Under what conditions did the farmers and cooks work? Were conditions safe? Were wages fair?

5. What’s in or on my food? Food dyes, preservatives, pesticide residues, or added salt, sugar and fat?

6. How might my food choices affect the environment? Are my food dollars supporting organic agriculture and clean water?

7. What’s missing from my plate? What would you prefer to eat at school; why; and what is getting in the way?

8. What kinds of messages do I receive about food at school? From teachers; from fundraisers or incentive programs?

9. What kinds of food advertising do I see at school? Why is it there?

10. Why and how do these questions matter? ...to my health? ...to my environment? ...to my community? ...to my planet?

©Food Slueth, LLC

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PA RENT S, TE AcHERS, S T UDENT S A ND S TA f f Become United School Lunch Citizens

Review the school lunch menu with your child.

Get to know your child’s school cafeteria and staff.

Eat lunch with your child and observe the lunch room environment.- Is the room pleasant and inviting? - Is the food appealing? - Is there a fresh salad bar? - How much time does your child have to eat? - Do students have time to wash their hands before eating? - Are there any commercial intrusions (soft drink machines, competing branded

junk foods, advertisements, TV screens, etc.)?- Are water fountains working and accessible? Has water been tested for safety? - Is there waste recycling and composting? - What are most of the children eating?

Say thank-you to lunch room staff and cooks – they’re our school lunch heroes.

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PARENTS

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Organize a group of people who care about food and conduct a school lunch assessment.

What’s good about your school lunch and what would you like to change?

Address your PTA and School Board with a list of requests and ideas for solutions/improvements to your school food; take photos and use images to make your story come alive.

Create media to help show and tell your school lunch story.- Submit an article to your school or community newspaper; interview and write

a feature story about food service staff; - Produce videos about school food or gardens.

Talk to school and community organizations to see if they will help support – with physical labor, time or fund-raising – a school garden and related cooking classes.

Add your own creative ideas to this list!

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STUDENTS

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

– Martin Luther King Jr.

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Get to know each other!- Host school-community pot-lucks. Build allegiances with local businesses

and legislators. Share your stories.Assess your school property; is there space for a garden or raised beds?

- Don’t mow, grow! Calculate money saved by not mowing and supplementing school food service with freshly harvested greens from a school garden or greenhouse.

Raise awareness. - Host a guest speaker to discuss child health, school and community food

policy issues. Assess fund-raising opportunities:

- Can you bring a CSA (community supported agriculture) to your PTA?- Sell garden seeds and supplies instead of candy. - Seek grant dollars to support school gardens.- Seek support from your PTA and new local business friends.- Put on a play, host a band contest, have a poetry slam...all to support better

school food projects.Learn from other advocates:

- Use the internet to find out what other communities are doing across the coun-try, then network and borrow ideas and strategies.

- Check out the “School Food Resources for Change” (page 13)

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PARENTS, STUDENTS AND STAff

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“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it

treats (feeds) its children.”

– Nelson Mandela

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R E S O U R C E S Advocacy

- Ten Tips for Child Advocates: American Academy of Pediatrics. www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/state-advocacy/Pages/Ten-Tips-for-Child-Advocates.aspx

Commercialism and Predatory Junk Food Marketing- Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood. www.commercialexploitation.org/- Center for Science in the Public Interest: Marketing to Kids:

www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/DecreaseMarketingToChildren.html- New American Dream; Tips for Parenting in a Commercial Culture: www.newdream.org/kids/brochure.php

Media Literacy - Common Sense Media: www.commonsensemedia.org/- “Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active!” After-school program for ages 11-13. National Institute of Child

Health and Human Development. www.nichd.nih.gov/msy/

Nutrition - American Academy of Pediatrics. “Clinical Report – Sports Drinks and Energy Drinks for Children and

Adolescents: Are They Appropriate?” http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/127/6/1182.full.pdf- “Beyond the Plate:” Straight Talk on Food and Family, by Melinda Hemmelgarn, M.S., R.D.

www.organicvalley.coop/farm-friends/moo/beyond-the-plate/archives0/- Center for Science in the Public Interest: effects of food dyes: www.cspinet.org/fooddyes/; and additives:

www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm- Food Sleuth Radio: http://kopn.org/ (Click on Food Sleuth): Helps listeners connect the dots between the food we

love, the health we treasure, and the agriculture which influences both. Pesticides: How to Protect Our Children

- Beyond Pesticides. http://www.beyondpesticides.org/; For information about protecting children from pesticides used at school, see: www.beyondpesticides.org/report/Schooling2010.pdf

- “Organic Diets Significantly Lower Childrens’ Dietary Exposure to Organophosphorus Pesticides,” Environmental Health Perspectives, February 2006. http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2005/8418/8418.html

- Pesticide Action Network of North America: www.panna.org/your-health/children

School Food Resources for Change - Center for Science in the Public Interest, Improving School Food: www.cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/

ImproveSchoolFoods.html Constructive classroom rewards: http://cspinet.org/nutritionpolicy/constructive_rewards.pdf

- The Lunch Box: Healthy Tools to Help All Schools: www.thelunchbox.org; www.saladbars2schools.org; www.thelunchbox.org/community/lunchbox/2011/8/10/top-ten-things-parents-and-caregivers-can-do-improve-school-lunch

- Healthy Schools Campaign, Healthy school lunch cooking contests: http://www.healthyschoolscampaign.org/event/cookingupchange/2011/flagship/

- Center for Ecoliteracy, Rethinking School Lunch publications: http://www.ecoliteracy.org/downloads/rethinking-school-lunch-guide

Farm to School- The National Farm to School Network: http://www.farmtoschool.org/- The USDA Farm to School Project: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/f2s/faqs_implementation.htm

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R E F E R E N C E S[ 1 ] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/data.html

Childhood Obesity Epidemic: www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/archives/2010/06-June.htm[ 2 ] President’s Cancer Panel Report on Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk:

http://deainfo.nci.nih.gov/advisory/pcp/annualReports/pcp08-09rpt/PCP_Report_08-09_508.pdf[ 3 ] Institute of Medicine, Dietary Reference Intakes for age and sex. www.iom.edu/Activities/Nutrition/

SummaryDRIs/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/DRIs/New%20Material/5DRI%20Values%20SummaryTables%2014.pdf

[ 4 ] The Prevention Institute: “We’re Not Buying It:” Protecting children from junk food marketing. http://preventioninstitute.org/

[ 5 ] National Education Policy Center. “Effectively Embedded: Schools and the Machinery of Modern Marketing.” http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/Schoolhouse-commercialism-2010

[ 6 ] Berkeley Media Studies Group: “Food and Beverage Marketing to Children and Adolescents: An environment at odds with good health.” www.bmsg.org/

“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.”

– John W. Whitehead, founder, Rutherford Institute

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Printed on New Leaf Imagination, FSC certified, 100% PC recycled paper. | © Organic Valley 2012-50000 MRL-P02277

A BOU T T HE AU T HOR :

Melinda Hemmelgarn, m.s., r.d. is a registered dietitian, investigative

nutritionist, and award-winning journalist with more than 30 years’

experience in clinical, academic and public health nutrition. Known

nationally as the “Food Sleuth,” she connects the dots between food,

health and agriculture, and helps consumers “think beyond their plates.”

She is a tireless advocate and strong voice for organic food and farming,

social and environmental justice and food system literacy.

Re a d her c ol umns AT :

www.organicvalley.coop/community/

beyond-the-plate

> T O O R D E R F R E E C O P I E S of this booklet and other materials, visit: www.organicvalley.coop/bodyorganic

Education Series