Healthy snacks for kids in school - facts and USDA guidelines

Here is a message from Rachael Ray:

This is a major moment for our kids’ future — and YOU and I need to step up to the plate. 

How cool is this: The U.S. Department of Agriculture has proposed nutritional guidelines that would make sure schools sell only healthy snacks and drinks to students during the school day. But we only have until April 9 to weigh in! 

Let’s cook up healthy change and tell the USDA we support its proposal! 

The USDA already is working to improve the nutritional quality of school meals. However, it hasn’t updated its guidelines for foods sold outside of meals since 1979, which means schools have still been able to sell everything from candy and potato chips to sugary beverages to kids. 

That’s why the proposed guidelines are so important. They would make sure all snacks and drinks in schools are nutritious – whether they’re sold as a la carte items in the cafeteria, in vending machines or in student stores. These items are a big part of what our kids eat at school — roughly 40 percent of students buy a snack at school every day. 

Even if students eat a healthy lunch, research shows they often still consume excess calories from side dishes their cafeteria might serve, such as french fries. Or sometimes kids skip over a healthy meal entirely in favor of an unhealthy a la carte item. 

It’s so important that everything our kids can buy at school is good for them. 

Let’s tell the USDA to implement strong nutritional guidelines for snacks and drinks in schools.

Racheal Ray