Recently, the Food Tank highlighted three exciting initiatives for changing school lunches in the US. The post highlights the importance of instilling healthy habits early to prevent health problems later in life, including diabetes and other nutrition-related health conditions.
Unfortunately, as more countries adopt more processed food diets, there is also an increase in nutrition related conditions. While a bit dated, an article from 2007 provides a survey of what school lunches look like in various countries. In Mexico, school lunch is a light affair, with many students eating their traditional comida, the heartiest meal of the day late in the afternoon at home.
Mexico has tried to address the growing obesity problem by improving the food available at schools but the process has been complicated by special interests as a NY Times article noted.
In the town in the Sierra Gorda de Guanajuato where we lived many students in the primary school brought "lonches," which was often a sandwich, a boxed drink, and chips or cookies. The school also had a small kitchen where it prepared a lunch for kids who opted into the program. It usually consisted of a hearty soup or dish and a agua fresca. While often not elaborate, it provided a well balanced hot meal. On days we would find ourselves working at the school, we were lucky enough to try the leftovers, as a fresh meal was prepared everyday.
Unfortunately, as more countries adopt more processed food diets, there is also an increase in nutrition related conditions. While a bit dated, an article from 2007 provides a survey of what school lunches look like in various countries. In Mexico, school lunch is a light affair, with many students eating their traditional comida, the heartiest meal of the day late in the afternoon at home.
Mexico has tried to address the growing obesity problem by improving the food available at schools but the process has been complicated by special interests as a NY Times article noted.
"By all measures, Mexico is one of the fattest countries in the world, and the obesity starts early. One in three children is overweight or obese, according to the government. So the nation’s health and education officials stepped in last year to limit what schools could sell at recess. (Schools in Mexico do not provide lunch.)
The officials quickly became snared in a web of special interests led by Mexico’s powerful snack food companies, which found support from regulators in the Ministry of the Economy. The result was a knot of rules that went into effect on Jan. 1. "In the town in the Sierra Gorda de Guanajuato where we lived many students in the primary school brought "lonches," which was often a sandwich, a boxed drink, and chips or cookies. The school also had a small kitchen where it prepared a lunch for kids who opted into the program. It usually consisted of a hearty soup or dish and a agua fresca. While often not elaborate, it provided a well balanced hot meal. On days we would find ourselves working at the school, we were lucky enough to try the leftovers, as a fresh meal was prepared everyday.
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