COLUMBUS, Ohio – The soda pop machines might be gone, but there are still plenty of cupcakes and cheesy puffs making it into the schools.
READ MORE: In the Columbus Dispatch
By concentrating on the foods that come into lunchrooms and classrooms, the nation can continue to make strides toward better health and less pediatric obesity, say authors of a report urging the nation’s pediatricians to redouble their work to encourage nutritious and balanced food choices.
The American Academy of Pediatrics’ policy statement, an update to one from 2004 that focused on sugar-sweetened beverages, also emphasizes the wisdom in not throwing out entirely fats, sugar and salt.
After all, not many kids crave naked oatmeal and plain yogurt. And everyone knows a touch of dressing makes fresh veggies all the more delicious.
The advice comes about a decade after the academy issued recommendations that schools yank sweetened drinks in favor of water, milk and 100 percent fruit and vegetable juices.
An estimated third of the calories American kids and teens take in each day come from high-calorie, low-nutrient food and drinks.
Food and drinks provided by schools have, on the whole, transformed since 2004, said Dr. Robert Murray, an Ohio State University researcher, pediatric nutrition expert and lead author of the paper from the academy.
This was an opportunity to remind doctors of the influence they have with the families they care for and in the communities in which they live, he said.
The recommendations urge doctors to emphasize maximizing nutrient density and using “discretionary calories” like fats and sugars to encourage greater consumption of nutrient-rich foods.