Sugar In School Breakfasts A School District S Perspective

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Nutrition

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26 July 2020

Sugar in School Breakfasts:

A School District's Perspective

In a 2015 scientific article entitled “Sugar in School Breakfasts: A School District's

Perspective,” members of the Houston Independent School District, Nutrition Services

Department address parental concerns in regards to the amount of sugar being consumed by

children through the district’s free breakfast initiative. The Independent School District (ISD)

and its 2400 culinary staff, provide hundreds of thousands of meals daily throughout the district

to all students from K-12. These meals, all must comply to strict guidelines as set forth by the

U.S. Department of Agriculture. In particular, the ISD, a participating member of the National

School Lunch and School Breakfast Program, a federally funded and controlled public school

program that provides meals to students regardless of socio-economic status. Additionally,

regarding breakfasts, the ISD is further restricted by a 2010 Congressionally enacted change in

the public-school menu requirements meant to address childhood obesity. This, the Healthy

Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010, mandates tighter limits on the nutritional content as

well as sources of these nutrients thus addressing: sugars, carbs and proteins that will comprise

the resulting breakfasts. Strict portion control in combination with mandatory daily allowances

of fiber, sugar, dairy and fruit items are to be combined in an appealing and kid friendly

breakfast every day. Oddly enough, total allowable sugars are not stipulated in the bill nor are the

differentiations made between natural sugars (fructose, lactose, carbohydrates) and, added sugars

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which are generally in the form of complex processed forms such as high fructose corn syrup or

processed white sugar. Here in lies a point of contention and confusion regarding the actual

sugars content and the healthy aspects seemingly overlooked in regards to the source of said

sugars. Each breakfast meal must contain:

• 1 cup serving of fruit, be it fresh, canned, dried or juice which, may contain just

fructose fruit sugars or, can contain added sugars in combination.

• 1 cup of milk, this represents lactose sugar, a naturally occurring and simple

sugar.

• 1 ounce of whole grains

To further complicate the breakfast menu options, the 2010 Act does not stipulate or mandate

any meat or meat substitute items from which protein and high calorie density can be derived and

as a result, carbohydrate rich substitutes are employed thus, adding to the perceived sugar intake.

Should the school district fail to comply with the federally mandated nutritional and caloric

guidelines, as well as food item options, funding and reimbursements for these “free” food

programs will be withheld. The budgetary allotment for a breakfast that can meet all the program

criteria is about $1, one dollar but, when looking at a couple hundred thousand meals daily, these

numbers add up quickly, compliance is critical. This Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of

2010, while a fantastic program, appears horribly drafted, incredibly restrictive and

foundationally flawed in so much as, it hamstrings the school district’s abilities to provide good

wholesome breakfasts that really meet nutritional guidelines with the inclusion of proteins in

combination to fiber, fruit and dairy while allowing for appealing and desirable meals that the

kids will actually eat. Another issue that plagues the district is seasonal availabilities of fruits and

vegetables that meet requirements thus, necessitating high sugar substitutes such as dried fruits

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Last Name 1 Your Name Instructor Name Course Number 26 July 2020 Sugar in School Breakfasts: A School District's Perspective In a 2015 scientific article entitled “Sugar in School Breakfasts: A School District's Perspective,” members of the Houston Independent School District, Nutrition Services Department address parental concerns in regards to the amount of sugar being consumed by children through the district’s free breakfast initiative. The Independent School District (ISD) and its 2400 culinary staff, provide hundreds of thousands of meals daily throughout the district to all students from K-12. These meals, all must comply to strict guidelines as set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In particular, the ISD, a participating member of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program, a federally funded and controlled public school program that provides meals to students regardless of socio-economic status. Additionally, regarding breakfasts, the ISD is further restricted by a 2010 Congressionally enacted change in the public-school menu requirements meant to address childhood obesity. This, the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010, mandates tighte ...
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