Introduction
The article title is “Sugar in School Breakfasts: A School District’s Perspective.” The authors are Lengyel, J. G., Cramer, N., Oceguera, A., & Pigao, L. Managing the school food operations for the seventh biggest school district in the country is a substantial challenge for Houston Independent School District (ISD) Nutrition Services. Serving 280,000 meals daily throughout Houston requires the cooperation of more than 14 departments and 2,400 personnel (Lengyel et al., 2015). However, a recent flurry of emails and phone calls from parents anxious about the amount of sugar in Houston ISD’s school meals exposed a new problem.
Article Summary
The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 established stringent rules that Houston ISD, like all school districts participating in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program, must adhere to (Kenney et al., 2020). In response to the rising childhood obesity epidemic in the U.S., this Act implemented new nutritional guidelines and food plans for school breakfast and lunch. The dietary guidelines set calorie, saturated fat, and sodium limits and a restriction on artificial trans fats in school meals. Still, they do not mention the amount of sugar in school breakfasts.
The National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program were created to address undernourishment and provide children with adequate nutrition. As part of the program, participating schools must ensure that the lunches they serve adhere to basic dietary standards set by the Secretary of Agriculture based on scientifically validated nutritional studies. Meal schedules have changed over time to consider fresh dietary advice and research.
Similarly, the School Breakfast Initiative was launched as a pilot grant program to help serve breakfast to students who require it for their nutritional needs. The breakfast meal pattern was created to meet one-fourth of a child’s daily nutrient needs who is in school (Au et al., 2018). In reaction to the growing problem of childhood obesity in the United States, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) was established, setting new dietary standards and meal patterns for school breakfast and lunch.
The Houston Independent School District (ISD) Nutrition Services has difficulty feeding a large student population. Many students get most of their nutrition from school meals, including up to three meals and one snack daily (Fox et al., 2021). Dietitians, chefs, cost analysts, operations, and production teams collaborate to create the Houston ISD menus to fulfill this challenge. To provide nutrients and enhance academic achievement, breakfast is crucial. Students frequently find it impossible to eat a regular school breakfast in the cafeteria because parents and school buses often drop off children right before the bell rings (Canon et al., 2021).
Additionally, most cafeterias are not intended to serve the entire student body during one breakfast session. Serving breakfast in the classroom also removes the stigma that school breakfast is exclusively for economically disadvantaged students. Despite the challenges, Houston ISD Nutrition Services is committed to providing one of the most important “school supplies” children need to be successful in school and beyond.
Conclusion
In conclusion, reducing the level of sugar included in school morning meals is an issue to resolve for the Houston ISD Nutrition Services Breakfast Program. Despite these obstacles, Houston ISD Nutrition Services is dedicated to giving students healthy breakfast options while lowering added sugar. To enhance the availability of whole fruits, cultivate relationships with produce suppliers; decrease the number of days juice is served; boost the availability of meat and meat substitutes; and carry out taste testing and plate waste studies to gauge student acceptability of menu items.
Reflection
When I first read the article, I thought it would discuss the specific ways in which Houston ISD Nutrition Services is working to decrease sugar content in school breakfasts. After reading it again, I realized that the article also discussed the program’s challenges and limitations in terms of budget constraints and federal regulations.
Paying attention to one’s initial response to a source can help identify any biases or assumptions one may have had before reading the source. It also helps understand how the source is presented and whether any new information can be gained from it. This can aid in forming a more informed stance on a topic.
References
Au, L. E., Gurzo, K., Gosliner, W., Webb, K. L., Crawford, P. B., & Ritchie, L. D. (2018). Eating school meals daily is associated with healthier dietary intakes: The healthy communities study. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 118(8), 1474-1481. Web.
Canon, N., Gharfeh, M., Guffey, D., Anvari, S., & Davis, C. M. (2019). Role of food allergy education: measuring teacher knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. Allergy & Rhinology, 10. Web.
Fox, M. K., Gearan, E. C., & Schwartz, C. (2021). Added sugars in school meals and the diets of school-age children. Nutrients, 13(2), 471. Web.
Kenney, E. L., Barrett, J. L., Bleich, S. N., Ward, Z. J., Cradock, A. L., & Gortmaker, S. L. (2020). Impact of the healthy, hunger-free kids act on obesity trends: The study examines the impact of the healthy, hunger-free kids act of 2010 on childhood obesity trends. Health Affairs, 39(7), 1122-1129. Web.
Lengyel, J. G., Cramer, N., Oceguera, A., & Pigao, L. (2015). Sugar in school breakfasts: A school district’s perspective. The Journal of Applied Research on Children : Informing Policy for Children at Risk, 6(2), 7. Web.