KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Reading, writing, and arithmetic are the foundation to a child's success in the classroom. But, what happens in that noisy cafeteria is just as important. Fruits, veggies, and meat are the foundation to a healthy life.
"Having good nutrition is paramount to being able to learn," Park Hill Food Services Director Ronda McCullick said.
What foods are your kids learning to eat? Is it healthy or unhealthy?
Student Thomas Roy described his lunch one day. "Chili cheese burrito that wasn't so good, but I ate it anyway."
Thomas Roy is just 11 years old. His sister is 13 years old. Both kids have high cholesterol.
"I was worried they would have heart trouble,” their mom said.
One in five children is at risk for heart disease, diabetes or high blood pressure because they are overweight or obese.
"We have kids that die from these complications," registered dietitian Rebecca Batson said. She works at the Pediatrics Department at Kansas University Medical Center and helps families lead a healthier lifestyle.
Programs to Help
Kansas University Medical Center runs Healthy Hawks. It's a program encouraging a healthy lifestyle. It also teaches you how to read food labels and what foods you should be eating every day. It also has an exercise component, as children should be getting 60 minutes of exercise every day.
Children's Mercy also has a program to help. It's called "Body Shop." It lasts six weeks and is an educational intervention to help obese kids and their parents make healthy nutritional choices.
The Roy family joined Healthy Hawks. The family works out together once a week as part of the program, and finds ways to exercise at home. Sometimes the family takes a walk, other times they ride bikes.
The Roy family is also working with a dietitian to bring healthier foods to the kitchen.
What Are Your Kids Eating at School?
While the Roys are making changes in their kitchen, Mary Ann Roy worries her efforts won't pay off if schools are not making similar changes.
We asked the mother how she would describe school lunch. "I don't think it's healthy," she said.
Even the Roy's dietitian is concerned. Rebecca Batson hears first hand what children are eating in the school cafeteria. She describes it as junk food. "They say pizza, chicken nuggets, and mashed potatoes," Batson said.
Call For Action School Lunch Test
So, Call For Action put four elementary schools to the school lunch test. We sent parents to elementary schools in Raytown, Kansas City, and the Blue Valley and Park Hill districts.
"I was worried it was going to be very high fat," Batson said.
The parents chose one of the featured meals of the day. Instead of eating the meal, they brought it back to our station. We collected three chicken tenders, a chicken patty sandwich, five mozzarella sticks, and macaroni and cheese.
"They all have a protein and good carb source. That in essence is a good foundation," Batson said. "Now, the question is how high fat is the chicken and how high fat is the cheese?"
To find the answers to those questions we packed up the food and shipped it to Idaho-based Analytical Laboratories, Inc. to test for fat, calories, protein and carbs.
