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Registered dietitian Jessica Donze Black, a mother of four young children, directs the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project. Follow her on Twitter at @JDonzeBlack_Pew.
Jessica Donze Black
Registered dietitian Jessica Donze Black, a mother of four young children, directs the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project. Follow her on Twitter at @JDonzeBlack_Pew.
Blog Post List
October 9, 2013
This week marks an important turning point in the conversation about school food. On Monday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that 80 percent of schools are serving healthier meals that meet the nutrition standards—just one year after they were established. But USDA wasn’t the only organization sharing good news . In addition, former President Bill Clinton honored 267 of the healthiest schools in the nation participating in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation ’s Healthy Schools Program . What’s even better is that thousands more schools in the Alliance’s program are meeting or...
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August 8, 2013
This blog post originally appeared in Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution blog . The new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Smart Snacks in School rule, nutritional standards to ensure that snack foods and beverages are healthy, will go into effect during the 2014-2015 school year. Research by the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project shows most U.S. secondary schools do not offer fruits and vegetables in stores, snack bars, or vending machines, but many do sell less-healthy options. Clearly, we need to raise the bar. Guidelines for Smart Snacks Support Parents’ Lessons at Home As a mom of...
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March 29, 2013
Originally posted on BagtheJunk.org 's blog. As a parent, I know firsthand that my kids love to eat salty and sugary snacks. And if I allowed it, they would consume them all the time. My boys may like fruits and veggies, but they would be perfectly happy to choose their meals from the not-so-secret snack cupboard above the stove if they had the option. That’s why the “sometimes” foods are out of sight and out of reach. At least until they learn to climb. The truth is, as a parent and dietitian, I know that my job is to make sure I offer my kids healthy choices if I want them to make healthy...
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December 20, 2012
This year has been an exciting one for school nutrition. In January, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) finalized the first updates to school meal standards in 17 years. This fall, the changes meant healthier meals were appearing in school cafeterias around the country. The guidelines help to bring the meals into line with the latest nutrition science by increasing the amount of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and decreasing saturated fat, sodium and excess calories. This is good news. But while many schools around the country are successfully serving the healthier meals...
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September 6, 2012
It’s back-to-school time! School supplies? Check! Medical forms completed? Check! Clothes for the first day? Check! School lunch?. . . This year as you prepare to send your kids to school, consider checking out more than the math and reading lineup for the year. Take a look at what is going to be served in the school cafeteria. This year the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) updated its nutrition standards for school meals for the first time in 17 years! (see Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project ). What does that mean for your kids? Meals will be required to be far healthier...
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