Title: 25 Unhealthy School Lunches Statistics - BrandonGaille.com
Headings: 25 Unhealthy School Lunches Statistics
25 Unhealthy School Lunches Statistics
Unhealthy School Lunches
What Could Healthier School Lunches Do?
Isn’t it More Expensive to Provide Healthier Food?
What Can Be Done to Make Changes?

Content: In the UK, absences due to sickness were reduced by 14% just by switching their meals program over to healthier foods. Although initial costs may be higher, a healthier population in the long-term will save billions of dollars in future healthcare costs. 33% of high school students eat vegetables less than once per day on average. Part of the problem has been food classifications for school lunch, such as tomato paste, laden with high fructose corn syrup, being labeled as a serving of vegetables on a slice of pizza. Instead of improving nutrition and limiting high calories starches, calorie caps have been placed in the US to 650-850 calories, limiting the amount of food that children can get and potentially adding a secondary risk to their future because they are hungrier than before. In 2012, the plate model of nutrition was introduced in the United States as a guideline for healthy school lunches. Finland has used this guideline since 1948 and has fully funded lunches to all people, not just as a low income subsidy. In some instances, the United States is beginning to catch up with the rest of the world in terms of providing good nutrition to kids during the school day. In other places, the US is behind countries like Bangladesh in terms of actual nutritional content that is in the foods that are being served to kids. Although some schools are doing an excellent job, growing food in a local garden and finding healthier options that are more cost effective, many schools are still relying on old, unhealthy methods.