After a garden was planted near the playground, teachers use fruits and vegetables in lesson plans to teach students about healthy eating.
- SCHOOLS
- Erin Egan
-
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Danayah Goodman no longer chooses chips and cookies at snack time. Thanks to the Scotchtown Hills Elementary School’s fruit and vegetable garden, the third grader now opts for healthier alternatives. “The garden has helped me make smarter choices because it makes me think about what to eat,” Goodman said. “It makes me think to eat vegetables and fruit more often.” The garden was created in May, after the Laurel Home Depot donated six 32-by-40 inch beds, two apple trees and two pear trees to the Dorset Road elementary school. In the six months since the school celebrated the inception of the garden, they’ve grown corn, pumpkins, tomatoes, carrots, radishes, lettuce, beets, watermelons, cucumbers and sunflowers. The donation came after …
Montgomery and Prince George’s county schools serve more fruits and vegetables, but students may not be eating them.
- SCHOOLS
- Erin Egan
-
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Every day at lunch, children across Prince George’s and Montgomery counties may be facing what conventional wisdom says is one of their worst nightmares. No, it’s not monsters hiding under their beds or behind their closet doors. It’s not zombies chasing after them, either. It’s fruits and vegetables. After Congress passed a nationwide law limiting the amount of calories schools are allowed to serve at lunch, schools in Prince George’s and Montgomery counties are adhering to the rules and serving up more healthy options for students. “Before this year, each student had to select three out of five items,” said Marla Caplon, Director of the Division of Food and Nutrition Services at Montgomery County public schools. “This year, the student …
The mayor of New York declares war on sugary soft drinks.
The same New York mayor who has cracked down on smoking and trans fats is now proposing to outlaw the sale of large-size sugary drinks by restaurants, street vendors and movie theaters, The New York Times reported. Mayor Michael Bloomberg's aggressive campaign against obesity has led him to the city's soda fountains in what would be an unprecedented restriction on residents' ready access to soft drinks laden with sugar. Bloomberg's proposal is likely to be approved and could take effect as early as March, the article said. “New York City is not about wringing your hands; it’s about doing something,” Bloomberg was quoted as saying. “I think that’s what the public wants the mayor to do.” The proposal would ban the sale of any cup or bottle …
Rsatteson
9:47 pm on Saturday, June 2, 2012
No, it is not fixing the problem, it is a feel good measure. The real issue needs to be addressed. Healthy foods and beverages cost too much. Processed microwavable convenience foods are cheaper and easier to prepare. People with low incomes and on subsidies have to purchase these foods just to stretch their money to cover the whole pay check. These foods are high in sodium, fats and calories but… more ›