VENDING MACHINES STILL BAD FOR KIDS? SOME WANT LAUSD TO GO EVEN FURTHER.Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer Cheez-It crackers loaded with salt. Journey cereal bars packed with sugar. Pineapple juice packed with calories. Those are among the snacks offered on campuses after the Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. got rid of sodas and candy bars in the name of improving the health of students. Nutritionists are not amused, saying such low-fat snacks aren't much better than the junk food junk food n. Any of various prepackaged snack foods high in calories but low in nutritional value. junk food they replaced. ``Realistically, they are devoid of any nutritional value. They are empty calories that send the wrong message that they are healthy snacks,'' said Dr. Michael Hirt of the Center for Integrative Medicine integrative medicine combines conventional medicine with complementary and alternative therapies. integrative medicine The 'new medicine' A term for the incorporation of alternative therapies into mainstream medical practice. in Tarzana. ``They should be used rarely as treats, and we should call them what they really are - treats.'' But LAUSD LAUSD Los Angeles Unified School District (Los Angeles, CA) officials - touting the district as a national leader in cutting sugar and fat on campuses - say such noshes are a long way from the junk food scarfed by students a year ago. To counter an epidemic in child obesity - an estimated one in three children in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. is overweight - Los Angeles schools led the nation in banning sodas in schools in 2002. Then the district went even further last summer by limiting the fat, sugar and salt in the snacks and sweets sold on campuses. In addition to other strictures, manufacturers were forced to tailor their products to no more than 35 percent total calories from fat, 10 percent saturated fat saturated fat, any solid fat that is an ester of glycerol and a saturated fatty acid. The molecules of a saturated fat have only single bonds between carbon atoms; if double bonds are present in the fatty acid portion of the molecule, the fat is said to be , 35 percent added sugar by weight and 600 mg salt per serving. ``We did lead the nation on our soda ban; I got calls from around the world,'' said Marlene Canter, an LAUSD board member who sits on the state Obesity Prevention Advisory Council and has led the charge to cut sodas and fats in schools. ``I'm not fully satisfied yet. That's why I called it a giant baby step. But I'm ecstatic over the national conversation (about obesity) and the tremendous progress we have made.'' Canter said it's vital to make healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables available in neighborhoods with too many fast-food restaurants and too few markets. By next year, she hopes to have a farmers market selling fresh produce on at least one campus per district. She is also working to alter federal guidelines for cafeteria food. ``We'd much prefer children ... eating carrots and celery, apples and oranges,'' she said. ``The pizza that kids eat every day is not healthy food.'' Many, however, still decry de·cry tr.v. de·cried, de·cry·ing, de·cries 1. To condemn openly. 2. To depreciate (currency, for example) by official proclamation or by rumor. so-called healthy snacks on campus. Cheez-It crackers have 22 percent the daily limit of salt. Journey cereal bars pack 11 grams of sugar. Langers pineapple juice sold in school vending machines carries 130 calories, nearly as much as a 12-ounce can of Coke. ``It's horrible food,'' said Dr. Naomi Neufeld, a clinical professor of pediatrics at UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX and founder and executive director of Kidshape, a management program for youths and families in Los Angeles and other cities. ``Cheez-Its are high on fat - they're horrible. They got rid of the soda machines at LAUSD, but they substituted (them) with juice - nothing but sugar and water.'' While many praise the LAUSD, they say the district could go further by offering apples and vegetables. At least one critic suggested encouraging children to grow their own. ``I want better food in schools,'' said Craig Blumenthal, coordinator for Best Fit, an after-school program by LA's Best that encourages exercise and good nutrition. ``Kids could plant backyard gardens and create their own salad bars.'' Dr. Harold Goldstein, executive director at the California Center for Public Health Advocacy The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. , said the food now available at LAUSD campuses may not be health food, but it is healthier than before. He also lauded the food industry for producing a new range of low-fat snack foods A list of snack foods is shown below. For more information, see snack foods. List of snack foods Chips (Crisps)
``I think the message is, look at all this healthier stuff that is available,'' Goldstein said. ``Nobody said we are just going to put tofu tofu Soft, bland, custardlike food product made from soybeans. Believed to date from China's Han dynasty (206 BC–AD 220), tofu is today an important source of protein in the cuisines of East and Southeast Asia. and bean sprouts in every vending machine.'' Daily News Staff Writer Rachel Uranga contributed to this report. Dana Bartholomew, (818) 713-3730 dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 5 photos, box Photo: (1) Langers Pineapple juice (2) Cheez-It crackers (3) Journey cereal bar (4) Elf Graham cookie snacks (5) Crystal Splash Kiwi Watermelon watermelon, plant (Citrullus vulgaris) of the family Curcurbitaceae (gourd family) native to Africa and introduced to America by Africans transported as slaves. Watermelons are now extensively cultivated in the United States and are popular also in S Russia. drink Box: NUTRITION FACTS SOURCE: Daily News research |
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