Confession. Making my kids lunch every day is hard for me. I’m not proud of this. I am a mom that works in childhood obesity prevention, I have overhauled the snack program at our daycare, I am active in the local food movement, and I’m the mom that doesn’t bring chips or cookies for the baseball team. I drool over Pinterest pictures of bento-style lunch boxes overflowing with fruits, vegetables, homemade dips, adorable reusable napkins, and little notes that say, “Have a great day!” And yet this morning, when I finally pulled myself out of bed and realized that the bus was coming in 12...

See you later sugary soda, chips, and candy! You see, you are once-in-a-while foods which have no place in schools where students can buy you every day. It is time to feed our kids the fuel they need to get through the school day, to support their physical health, and to teach them how to live healthy lives. And that is exactly what the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is trying to do with a big announcement this week finalizing the new rules about what snack foods and beverages are allowed to be sold to our kids in school. It was a nice surprise that the department moved so quickly to...

The USDA has released long-awaited guidelines for foods sold in school vending machines, snack carts and school stores. These guidelines will cover any snack item, side item or beverage sold outside of the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs. We at the Alliance for a Healthier Generation are excited to see these federal guidelines moving forward, putting the nutrition of all foods and beverages in school buildings on a level playing field. The choices students have access to through vending, snack carts and school stores should mirror the nutritious choices they see in the...

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, signed into law in December 2010, charged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) with updating school food nutrition standards to reflect the latest nutrition science. Updates to the nutrition standards for school meals went into effect at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year, and schools across the country have been making changes to provide students with healthier choices. The schools and districts mentioned below are all members of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s Healthy Schools Program, which provides training, resources and support to...

It is the time of year when families pull out cookbooks and decorations and think about who to invite for holiday celebrations. Along with these important decisions, the Alliance for a Healthier Generation encourages you to go into the holidays with a plan for keeping your family moving more and eating healthier during this time of celebration. 5 Ideas for Your Healthy Holiday Game Plan 1) Replace Appetizers with Fitnetizers Instead of watching professionals play sports on television, encourage your family and/or neighbors to join together for a “fitnetizer,” a pre-meal physical activity such...

Have you ever been taken off guard by a child’s question about weight? Like, “Mom, am I fat?” or “Can I go on a diet?” Many parents hear heartbreaking stories from their children about being teased on the bus or know that their child is worried about changing clothes in front of others for physical education class. And parents struggle with what to say and how to say it. In fact, a WebMD/Sanford Health survey found that parents of teens find it more difficult to talk about weight with their child than talking about sex, drugs, alcohol or smoking! Experts at the Strategies to Overcome and...