The Institute experts came up with foods and drinks that are good for kids—and, not surprisingly, they are also good for adults, too. Read on!

Healthy lifestyles begin in the home and in school. Parents that eat good, healthy foods are more likely to pass these good habits onto their offspring. Unfortunately, bad habits are passed on, too. However, even if children have good eating habits at home, if there is a lack of good, healthy foods and drinks at school, then children have little choice in their eating habits.

Congress wants to set standards for foods and drinks available in public schools across the United States. The study and recommendations by the Institute of Medicine (a branch of the National Academy of Sciences and an independent organization chartered by the U.S. Congress) is a good first step.

Institute scientists were asked to recommend foods to offer within schools, especially in vending machines, cafeterias, and for after-school events such as fundraising events.

They formed two groups of foods that they call tier one and tier two. In tier one, the researchers recommend that at least one serving of FRUIT, VEGETABLES, WHOLE-GRAIN, or NON-FAT or LOW-FAT DAIRY be provided to all grade levels (elementary through high school). These tier one foods and drinks must meet strict limits on overall fat (no more than 35% of total calories), saturated fat, trans fat (none), sugar (no more than 35% of total calories), sodium, and calories.

ALLOWED beverages include water, seltzer water, skim (non-fat) or 1% (of fat) milk, soy drinks, caffeine-free diet sodas, and 100% fruit juices (limited to 4-ounce servings because of high sugar content), and low-salt vegetable juices.

NOT ALLOWED beverages, which do not meet the Institute of Medicine standards, include sugary soft drinks, regular colas, sports drinks, and (non-100% fruit juice drinks.

ALLOWED foods include fruit (such as apples and pears, and fruit cups) baked potato chips, whole-grain low-sugar cereals, dried fruit (such as raisins, bananas, and apricots) some granola bars, some multigrain tortilla chips, nonfat yogurt (with no more than 30 grams of added sugars), low-sodium whole-wheat crackers, graham crackers, animal crackers, low-fat low-sugar ice cream, and low-sodium pretzels.

NOT ALLOWED foods, which do not meet the Institute of Medicine standards, include sugary snacks (such as candies), salty snacks (such as regular potato chips), and fatty snacks (such as regular ice cream).

Additional allowed foods are found at: http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/diet.fitness/04/25/school.food.examples.ap/index.html

In tier two foods—which would be provided to high school students after school—the Institute experts did not recommend particular types of foods. However, they recommended that all foods must meet the same limits as in the tier one foods.

These limits, which are important to repeat again, are: limits on overall fat (no more than 35% of total calories), saturated fat, trans fat (none), sugar (no more than 35% of total calories), sodium, and calories.

The members of the U.S. Congress hope that this set of standards will become available to all schools. The Congress will work with the Departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Education to provide this information to all state and local school boards and administrators and the food and beverage industry.

Eventually, the Congresspersons are thinking of making these recommendations into national, state, and local laws.

The rise of obesity in the United States is not restricted to children. Adults are also adding poundage to their bodies at alarming rates. What’s good for children is also good for adults.

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