The need for schools to investigate their school breakfast and lunch offerings is essential as students must have access to whole nutrition in order to succeed
By Deborah Dittner
It’s time for back to school…already!
Where does the time go?
And back to school means the continued focus on your child’s nutrition. Summer months seem to be easier as fruits (watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, blueberries and peaches) and vegetables (green beans, peas, asparagus and eggplant) are at peak in flavor and abundance.
If you have a garden, it’s fun to send your children to collect the veggies for dinner from salad makings to stir fry. If your children have assisted in the garden with both the planting and harvesting, they can become quite proud of their achievements. And this may encourage them to try more of what the garden has to offer.
Now is the time to focus on school nutrition. Does your child bring their lunch to school with them or purchase it from school?
Sending your child to school with their lunch gives you the parent more leverage as to good nutrition. Sadly, many schools continue with ultra-processed foods and synthetic food dyes even though these substances are harmful to health such as ADHD, cardiovascular disease and cancer as more and more research is now showing.
• Ultra-processed foods are food-like substances often loaded with additives such as artificial colors, stabilizers and preservatives.
Basically, anything that comes in a package such as crackers and cookies, frozen meals such as pizza and macaroni and cheese, snacks that are salted such as peanuts, soda and sports drinks, are there for convenience but lack nutritional value.
Eating an ultra-processed diet typically increases your daily calorie count by about 500 calories which can increase your weight by about two pounds in a mere two weeks. By eating a diet of whole nutrient dense foods, you could lose approximately the same two pounds in two weeks as well.
Consuming ultra-processed foods increases your and your child’s risk for heart disease, stroke and other blood flow issues, Type 2 diabetes, depression, anxiety and other mental health concerns and certain cancers.
• Synthetic food dyes can be found in fruit punch, sports drinks, candy, baked goods and snack foods. These dyes seem to make the foods visually appealing especially to children but lack the nutrition.
Most dyes are petroleum-based chemicals such as Red 40, Red 3, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 and are linked to behavioral issues such as ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) especially in children.
Food dyes can negatively affect symptoms such as restlessness, impulsivity and difficulty concentrating…all needed in a school environment.
Combining the dyes with the ultra-processed foods increases behavioral concerns in both children and adults alike.
Many countries in the European Union have either eliminated these harmful additives or have placed warning labels on such products. Recently, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has classified the additive Red 3 as a carcinogen. Companies will now have to remove such additives, but this will take time.
The effects of synthetic food dyes and ultra-processed food-like products are especially concerning for the health of children.
Their smaller body size and the increased needs for brain and body development, puts children at risk for higher levels of exposure as compared to adults. Action needs to be taken to eliminate these chemicals from not only a child’s diet but also in adults.
Adults and children are both at risk as the statistical numbers are showing greater than 70% of adults are either overweight or obese and close to 40% of teenagers are prediabetic. Diets consisting of ultra-processed food-like products and synthetic dyes are contributing to the increase in chronic conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers. Once developed, these conditions place hardship on families as the cost for treatment is costly.
Take charge of yours and your child’s nutrition.
Eliminate ultra-processed food-like products and synthetic food dyes from your purchasing.
Change up your habits by adding in whole nutrient dense foods purchased fresh. The need for schools to investigate their school breakfast and lunch offerings is essential as students must have access to whole nutrition in order to succeed.
You, as the consumer, need to make healthier choices of nutritious foods as this is the best step towards fighting chronic diseases.
Deborah Dittner is a family nurse practitioner and health consultant. Her mission is to transform as many individuals as possible through nutrition and lifestyle changes. www.debdittner.com