Decatur Schools May Ban Chocolate Milk for K-3
A Decatur Schools committee recommends eliminating chocolate milk for K-3 students and phasing it out for higher grades. The committee has 10 menu recommendations, including eliminating or changing peanut butter, chips, chicken nuggets and pancakes.
Photos
A City Schools of Decatur committee that studied lunchroom nutrition is recommending that chocolate milk be eliminated for students in kindergarten through third grade and phased out for other grades.
The Decatur School Board may vote on the proposal when it meets today at the Westchester Building at 758 Scott Blvd. The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.
The Ultimate Menu Committee, formed last spring to make school menus healthier, made 10 recommendations of items for removal or change.
1. Chocolate milk – eliminate in K-3 and propose a phase out for grades 4 and up.
2. Muffins - eliminate highly processed products, could replace with healthier versions.
3. Pancakes, waffles and french toast - eliminate highly processed products, could replace with healthier versions.
4. Chips – eliminate highly processed and/or fried chips, replace with healthier (baked) chips.
5. Chicken Nuggets – eliminate highly processed products, replace with healthier versions.
6. Shrimp Poppers/Fried Fish – eliminate pre-fried products, could replace with non-fried version, if available.
7. Dried Potatoes, Tater Tots/Potato Triangles – eliminate highly processed and pre-fried products.
8. High Sugar Desserts – eliminate.
9. Peanut Butter: with hydrogenated oil and sugar – replace with product without added oils.
10. Highly Processed Cheese (i.e. cheese sauces, American cheese, etc) – replace with real cheese.
The committee's report said the school system has already removed a number of food items from lunchroom menus, such as canned fruit wheavy syrup, margarine, trans fats, sugary cereals, white bread, pizza with white bread crust ad milk with high-fructose corn syrup.
To see the full Ultimate Menu Committee report, go to the City Schools of Decatur webpage and click on the PDF at the bottom of the page.
Ralph Ellis
7:16 am on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Chocolate milk in schools -- yes or no?
Lynn Hubbard
10:57 am on Thursday, September 6, 2012
if they get rid of chocolate milk, what will they offer for dementor attacks?
Maria Pinkelton
8:25 am on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
I am so happy to see this. For children who receive free and reduced price lunches it is imperative that these meals are as healthy as they can be.
Evin Galang
9:06 am on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Chocolate milk I can take or leave; there are benefits, actually, in that the calcium becomes more bio-available in chocolate milk (yay, because otherwise I won't drink it) but everything else on that list, it's about time those foods were taken off the menu!
Big Squirt
10:18 am on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
when i was a little squirt, we only got chocolate milk on friday's.
Ken
11:15 am on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Chocolate milk should be offered in a non fat, low sugar form. It's nutritional and recovery from exercise benefits are proven.
ClareNic
11:38 am on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Hi Ralph, I'm a member of the Ultimate Menu Committee and will be there to assist in the presentation to the board this evening. I think it's important you mention that the committee was made up of parents, students and CSD staff. We spent MANY hours meeting over the summer coming up with Guiding Principles for menus and a nutrition plan for City Schools of Decatur. It's exciting to see such community involvement and cooperation with the CSD staff on making changes that will have a huge impact on our kids' breakfasts and lunches in the schools. These changes will make school lunches healthier and better balanced...something every parent can feel good about when buying school lunch for their kid! I'm really excited to help present our work to the board tonight!
Clare Schexnyder
Mom to Oakhurst 3rd Grader
Ralph Ellis
4:05 pm on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Thanks, Clare. I looked at the report and can tell the committee spent a lot of time on this project. Thanks for your hard work.
penny
3:52 pm on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
well here's a bunch of rocket scientists!
Maureen
11:19 pm on Tuesday, September 4, 2012
I support removing all these items and replacing with healthier choices. Great work!
penny
5:48 am on Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Where was the "public paid for nutritionist" when these foods were put on the school food program? And why does it need a committee? We pay the school system to do this...they just need to do their job!
Michelle Kwiatkowski
7:47 am on Thursday, September 6, 2012
I wish they would do this in Gwinnett County. Also, eliminating or reducing the ice cream for purchase everyday would be a step in the right direction. Ice Cream is meant to be an occassional treat - not another food group!