Premium Essay

Healthier Eating Habits

In:

Submitted By Elisa1823
Words 1081
Pages 5
Promoting healthier eating habits in schools is a major issue across the United States. However, there have been major changes made to improve the nutrition and health of the students eating breakfast and lunch at school. Helping students develop healthier eating habits at school can be an important part of the struggle against childhood obesity and ultimately help improve the health of students in elementary, middle, and high school. A relationship between childhood obesity and school feeding programs has been prevalent when the availability of snack foods and beverages in schools began to increase (Grainger, Senauer, & Runge, 2007). Children may not realize all of the benefits they are receiving from eating a healthy lunch, but their bodies will certainly respond to the healthy food. These days, many schools are taking shortcuts and serving unhealthy foods to save time and money, which is at the expense of the children. Instead, we need to focus on these benefits of the effects on kids of eating healthy cafeteria lunches (Salisbury, C. G. 2004). The involvement that promotes healthy eating can work if the schools are willing to enforce healthy eating habits during breakfast and lunch. School food service directors often must focus on ease of preparation rather than healthy options because they lack both the skilled staff and facilities necessary to do more (Grainger, Senauer, & Runge, 2007). Since there are many schools that depend on major food service vendors to supply highly processed foods that require little more than heating to prepare we are trying to change that. Faced with tight budgets, food service operations are driven by cost considerations and a need to serve what students will eat (Salisbury, C. G. 2004). We want to implement healthy eating choices that are part of a well balanced diet. In order to do this we must first change the choices

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Healthy Eating

...Healthy Eating Have you ever really sat down and thought about the benefits of eating healthier foods? Having a healthy eating routine and diet is a lifestyle for many people. People who eat healthy foods on a daily basis, do not seem to focus on the actual dieting, they just do it. Eating healthier can help a person in various ways, which is why many people decide to change their eating habits to begin with. Healthy eating is beneficial because of the changes it can make on your body, your health, and possible biological risks. To begin with, having a healthy diet or eating habits can make various positive changes on your physical health. With that being said some of the better changes are losing weight, building body mass, a better memory, and increased energy levels are the positive payoffs of having a good physical health. Eating healthier foods can help loose unwanted weight and avoid gaining weight for most people seeking a healthier body. Eating more fruits and vegetables can assist with the weight loss process with very noticeable results, as well as a welcomed change in their clothing size to something smaller than before. Having a healthier diet can make a person create more muscle and lose their body fat. For example, eating a nice low-carb salad, with a light salad dressing, can assist with making the body more lean, building more muscle and losing the fat that is already stored. It also changes the mind and memory of a person. Also, eating healthier foods can...

Words: 1040 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

The Public Needs to Know

...The Public Needs to Know The Public Needs to Know With obesity and type 2 diabetes being on the rise in school age children, it is time to change the eating habits of today’s children. This change starts in schools by offering healthier breakfast and lunch choices. With the help of school officials, nutrition experts, and parents/guardians, our children can start to have their nutritional needs met beginning each day at their school. Healthier eating habits are becoming more important as the economy falters, health crises arise, and school performance levels fall. We are making those changes today with changes to the breakfast and lunch programs offered in today’s schools. In a report written by the School Nutrition Association (SNA) it states that “according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the United States economy had been in a recession since December 2007” (SNA, 2008). With fewer jobs available and unemployment on the rise, more families are taking advantage of the nutrition programs offered by schools. With more children being approved for the free or reduced meal plans offered at schools, children get most of their daily meals at their school (SNA, 2008). We hear on the news all the time about children going hungry, families having difficult times making enough money for food and bills. It seems like it is cheaper today to eat fast food than a healthy meal at home. The costs of food in grocery stores are slowly rising while people are still trying to...

Words: 857 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Becoming a Healthy Person Final Paper

...because although foods such as candy, soda and cheeseburgers may be taken in and have enough vitamins and minerals to keep the body running, it may still not contain the proper amount of nutrients that that it takes to maintain it for a long period of time. The human body requires certain nutrients that healthier foods can provide while unhealthy foods contain additives and preservatives which are harmful to the body. If a diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, grains, low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and other such healthy foods are consumed, the human body will be much healthier than when a diet consisting of prepackaged and unhealthy foods are consumed. According to the (Centers for Disease Control [CDC]. 2004a), there are more people consuming foods that are prepackaged because they are fast and convenient, but are higher in fat, sugars, and calories. The portion sizes have also increased, and many are consuming calories from too much food in a single meal which can lead to health problems including obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes to name a few. These are some of the physical effects that the body may encounter due to many years of unhealthy eating...

Words: 1657 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Healthy Eating Plan Comparison

...Healthy Eating Plan Comparison Jane Doe Sunday, March 20, 2011 SCI241 Professor Mickey Mouse Abstract This document will provide an outline of the change in nutritional habits for the duration of SCI241 - Nutrition course study. This document will also provide the change in diet and the awareness of making food choices. Healthy Eating Plan Comparison For the duration of this class and teenage years I have been considered obese. Nutrition has never been a part of my life nor has it had any importance to my eating habits. This class along with strong encouragement from friends and family I have decided to try a better way of eating. During week one through week four of class I was still in denial about my weight and my eating choices. As the class progressed and my comprehension for what promotes healthy eating changed. I discovered a greater way of life through low-impact exercises and healthy food choices. Eating healthy has always displayed images in my head of meals consisting of mostly vegetables, salads, no bread, no potatoes, and small portions of everything. Although the mentioned items could help with weight management; they are not the ingredients to a healthy way of living or eating. Current Eating Habits Over the past seven weeks I have encouraged myself to look at food in a totally different light. Vegetables and fruits are my friends and all oils, unsaturated fats, refined sugars, to include processed meats and dinners have been eliminated...

Words: 1068 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

My Reflection

...K. Smith September 13, 2012 Reflection Of My Eating Habits First, I understand that my eating habits are not the best and I would love to change them. I do not eat according to the USDA food guide recommendations, because I never really paid attention to it and I am hardly every home so I always get food on the go, but I would like to start eating by it. Eating healthier is much better for you then always eating fast food and fried foods. Second, to make my diet better I would drink and use more low fat milk. I would cut back on drinking caffeine, because drinking a lot of caffeine can cause blockages and it can even cause cavities. I would better fit my diet by eating more starchy vegetables like green peas or green lima beans and stop eating junk food. I would not eat junk food because it can make you obese. I would use less salt and add spices, herbs, garlic, vinegar, or lemon juice to season foods or use no salt seasoning mixes. I would also try black or red pepper. Third, eating healthier is always better than eating unhealthy. Since I am not eating healthy and I love to eat fast food and fried foods like hamburgers. Fries, and fried chicken and fish, I would take steps to make my eating habits healthy. The steps I would take would eat more fruits. Maybe for lunch or for a snack I could eat a fruit salad. The next step I would approach is choosing meat like pork or chicken and eating them twice a week. I would eat more grains like wheat...

Words: 428 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Healthy Eating Habits

...Healthy Eating Habits for Children Healthy Eating Habits for Children 2 Introduction: Healthy eating habits with an exercise regimen could help children reduce their chances of becoming obese, and help eliminate the chances of getting the diseases that are associated with unhealthy eating habits. The contents of this essay will show how we could teach our kids the healthy way of eating and exercising, this essay will also teach portion control and physical activities. Children are taught different eating habits. Some eating habits are good ones and some are not so good to have. Some of the healthy eating habits will be eating breakfast, taking time to chew food, and not sitting in front of the TV while eating. Some of the bad habits will be eating fast, not taking the time to chew the food, and over eating. Healthy Eating Habits for Children 3 We should take time and pay close attention to our children’s unhealthy eating habits, it will create problems for them in the long run. There are healthy amounts of fats in a day-to-day diet for all children. Children that have low fat diets could have effects just as well as having to much fat in their diets. Children should have fat foods such as, whole milk, cheese, ect while in their toddler years, and after those years they should lean more toward the lower fat diets. Being able to spot the some of the things that causes your child unhealthy eating habits will take...

Words: 471 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Fitness and Nutritional

...Fitness and Nutritional Habits Regina Cruz Paradigms of Health August 20, 2013 Dr. Roland Villareal Fitness and nutrition go hand in hand. I believe this because no matter the amount of exercise anyone does, the positive effects are mainly from the food choices we make. Example, if I continuously ate fast food and ran on a daily basis there would be no results. At some point, either my eating habits are going to have to change or the exercising would stop. It becomes a mental strain when results are not met and the exercise has become more difficult. Healthy eating habits and the right fitness regime lead to a healthier lifestyle. Obesity is problematic here in the United States. According to the CDC over one third of adults in America are obese and 17% of children between the ages of 2-19 are obese (Overweight and Obesity, 2013). Studies have shown that America is not healthy. It said to cost Americans 150 billion dollars and 10% of medical costs (Overweight and Obesity, 2013). Contributing factors have been said to be the foods we intake, the convenience of the type of foods that are available, and the food portions have been increased. Obesity can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer (Overweight and Obesity, 2013). With obesity being an epidemic in America our physical activity has lessen too. When I was growing up I remember always being outside. Now a days, it is rare you see kids playing in the neighborhood. The sedentary lifestyle is among...

Words: 695 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Obesity in Children

...mortality. Society needs to take more responsibility for the growth and health of our children. What can be done to help combat the growing issue of childhood obesity, and who is responsible for making these changes? The need for more federal health care laws and programs is growing, but creating them is not easy. As part of one of these laws health insurers and employers must now pay for the cost of screening children for obesity and providing them with appropriate counseling (Reed, 2012). Many community programs aimed at getting children to eat healthy and exercise have already been created. For these programs to work they need to be aimed at treating families as a whole. Parents need to be educated on how to get their children to be healthier. This is not an easy task as all children will respond differently to different tactics. In families with more than one child, parents will have to try different ways of getting the children to eat healthy for each individual child. This is very similar to...

Words: 2402 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Solutions to Childhood Obesity

...childhood obesity face many health problems like type two diabetes, high blood, pressure and are at risk for many types of cancers. The lack of children’s physical activity today is one of the major factors that lead to obesity as well as eating unhealthy diets, the increased food portions and the lack of information about healthy choices. Dr. Anand, the Executive Director for the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, describes the prevalence of obesity as being “at epidemic proportions” (Center for Nutrition Policy & Promotion, 2008, pg. 2). This statement was made in 1998. Since then, the rates of obesity have continued to rise dramatically and if we don’t do anything to stop it these numbers will keep rising. Many people think that dealing with obesity is only the parent’s responsibility, but what we need to realize is that it is not only the parents responsibility, fighting this epidemic has also become the responsibility of our schools and communities. Obesity education needs to be in our homes, schools and our communities to raise awareness of the causes, as well as the risks. We need to take action in helping reduce this health problem which is affecting more and more children each day. Parents and children need to know how to eat a healthier diet and understand how exercise can help reduce or even prevent this epidemic of childhood obesity. The most effective way of reducing this epidemic of childhood obesity here in the United States is if parents, schools and our communities...

Words: 2551 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Childhood Obeisity Campaign

...County as a whole, they are just below the national average at a 15% childhood obesity rate.  The rate of the city however is a lot higher and is almost at 22%.  According to a study done by the University of Rochester Medical Center, nearly 40 percent of children and teens living in Rochester’s city are overweight or obese (City Child Obesity Rate Almost Twice as Large as Suburban).  The number lowers when looking at the suburbs of Rochester, but 25% of children are still obese or overweight in these suburban areas. We believe that these numbers are higher in the city due to a few reasons.  The first and obvious reason would be due poor eating habits.  These children are eating unhealthy meals and not getting a balanced diet that is resulting in extra weight gain.  As a team we also realize that it is not just about and poor eating habits but also a lack of exercise.  These children have not been getting an appropriate amount of physical activity and as a result of this inactivity they are becoming heavier.  As a part of our campaign we plan to address both of these issues in order to reduce childhood obesity in Rochester, NY.    The objectives of this campaign are to increase parents’ awareness of childhood obesity by 60% within 6 months. This awareness includes the prevalence of, and what is considered obesity....

Words: 3009 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

School

...nutritional habits have gradually changed. It has changed for the better as I am eating much healthier than before. For example, I noticed the meals I used to eat lacked vitamin c. Now, I make sure to drink orange juice, or any other juice that contains lots of vitamin c. A big habit I was able to break is my constant midnight snacking. I no longer do this, and have stopped the indulging myself of foods in the middle of the night. I try to beak up my meals in small dosages through the day and avoiding having any big appetite before I sleep. I believe my new habit of exercising more had helped me get into this situation of sleeping early as usual along with better decisions on what to eat. Another change I have done with my eating habits is the consistent checking of nutritional labels. I learned so much from this class especially about the use of calorie counting. Because of this new learned fact, I am now able to count my calories and adjust for future meals, avoiding consuming too much later. For example, the tool, http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov, is a great aid to anyone who wants to see how much a person is consuming in terms of calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat. This tool, I use often, helped me gradually get to me well needed goal of losing weight. I noticed I’ve been consuming too much empty foods that don’t have essential vitamins. This has caused my weight to go up. However, I am reversing this bad habit, and am eating much healthier foods. The...

Words: 818 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Obesity

...Of course, parents want their children to be healthy, but there are mixed messages about food and weight in each culture, and many parents are unsure on how to address this problem. Children do as they see, not as you say! So it is important to show your children the right eating habits from an early age. Make sure you instill the habit of serving fruits and vegetables five times a day. Take time to exercise, not just your child but involve everyone in the family so it becomes a habit that sticks. To much TV and computer usage is a major contributor to obesity. Children should get no more than one to two hours of screen time a day, not including school work. The school junk food ban, and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act as a whole, emerged partially as a result of Michelle Obama's campaign to end childhood obesity. The ban of junk food sales through school vending machines will affect kids in the coming 2013-14 school year. Instead of selling candy bars and sodas, schools will ideally vend healthier snacks like granola bars, juices, and whole grain products. The idea is that kids will develop healthier eating habits in school and maintain those habits for a lifetime—and maybe even pass on healthier eating patterns to their parents. I don't think banning junk in vending machines will help fight obesity, but it certainly doesn't hurt. What WOULD help is if the price of healthy food was as cheap or cheaper than unhealthy food; then, it'd become more economically attractive for...

Words: 281 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Sci Final

...Personalized Nutrition and Exercise Plan In this paper I will talk about what my eating habits are, how I am exercising and I will also talk about I am going to do to change what I am eating and what I am going to do with how I am exercising. Not only to lose weight but also to have a healthier me for my children and my husband. The last nine weeks I have been looking what my current diet and exercise habits are and I have learned a lot. Along with that I have read what the USDA Food Pyramid Guide and exercise recommendations. I am trying to change what I knew that I had some work do to stay healthy and to live longer I need to change some eating habits that I have as well as exercise more than I have as well. What I have done is I have combined what I have learned from these resources with my class over the last nine weeks that will help me with my diet, and exercise plan for myself for the next six months and help me obtain where I want to be for a healthier me.(foodpyramid.com) What I will be addressing the eating and exercising of my current lifestyle and talking about how I will change this to make my life better and healthier. I am trying to eat healthier diet already, but there is always room for changes when talking about eating and exercising. I am not eating a large amount of fruit; this will help me make more choices when creating a nutrition plan. In the winter time I am not eating or drinking many dairy products, which is a big source of calcium and vitamin D...

Words: 1857 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Lkjkjlk

...nutritional habits have gradually changed. It has changed for the better as I am eating much healthier than before. For example, I noticed the meals I used to eat lacked vitamin c. Now, I make sure to drink orange juice, or any other juice that contains lots of vitamin c. A big habit I was able to break is my constant midnight snacking. I no longer do this, and have stopped the indulging myself of foods in the middle of the night. I try to beak up my meals in small dosages through the day and avoiding having any big appetite before I sleep. I believe my new habit of exercising more had helped me get into this situation of sleeping early as usual along with better decisions on what to eat. Another change I have done with my eating habits is the consistent checking of nutritional labels. I learned so much from this class especially about the use of calorie counting. Because of this new learned fact, I am now able to count my calories and adjust for future meals, avoiding consuming too much later. For example, the tool, http://www.mypyramidtracker.gov, is a great aid to anyone who wants to see how much a person is consuming in terms of calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat. This tool, I use often, helped me gradually get to me well needed goal of losing weight. I noticed I’ve been consuming too much empty foods that don’t have essential vitamins. This has caused my weight to go up. However, I am reversing this bad habit, and am eating much healthier foods...

Words: 817 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Obesity in Usa

...Presentation on obesity in the USA Good morning everyone. During my stay here in America I have observed the habits of Americans in relation to foods and activity. Obesity is a big problem especially here in the USA. The American population are getting bigger and bigger and the obesity epidemic in the USA has grown over these past fifty years, which cost the USA $150 billion annually. America is a country, were everything is big: the cars, the houses, the menus on the restaurants and the people. One out of three adults in America are obese while one out of six children are obese. The obesity epidemic has grown but which factors have had an influence on the obesity epidemic? And which preventive measures have the companies, communities, schools and the First Lady done to prevent the obesity epidemic to grow even further? One contributing factor of the obesity epidemic is the fact that the eating habits have been changing over the last fifty years. Americans are more addictive to eat out instead of preparing healthy food at home and they continue eating unhealthy food although it may contribute diabetes, cancer and heart diseases. How come the obesity epidemic grown so fast and getting out of control? How come the parents feeding their children with processed foods with higher sugar, fat and calories - Is it the children who decide what to eat? Children are acting on their instincts and if they see an advertising on the TV for McDonalds with the Ronald McDonald clown and...

Words: 1301 - Pages: 6