Out with unhealthy and in with healthy foods in Iowa schools

Plymouth County schools are already ahead of that game or close.

The Iowa Board of Education in April adopted amended rules in the Healthy Kids Act, a state law passed in 2008 to set nutritional standards for food or beverages sold or provided to students on school grounds during the school day.

One of those amendments included extending the compliance deadline from this year to July 1, 2010.

But in Plymouth County schools like Hinton Community School have already made the necessary changes like getting rid of candy bars and soda from vending machines.

"We had to take out certain things, so really none of our stuff is going to be affected," said Robin Scharbonneau, Hinton's head cook. "We've already gone down to smaller sizes and things like Sun Chips with more nutritional value."

Eliminating junk food is part of the amended rules which, among others, say soda is off-limits to all students during the school day unless they bring it themselves, caffeinated drinks can't be sold to elementary students during the school day, and fruit and vegetable juices sold in schools can't have added sweeteners.

Le Mars Community Schools has more changes to make.

Foods with high sugar content have already been removed from vending machines and water added as a choice -- but soda is still available.

"Kids have the option to choose the more healthy drink," said Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt. "A lot of water gets sold, but there's still an awful lot of pop too."

To meet the new state standards soda will have to be removed from the one vending machine remaining in the high school. The middle school no longer has vending machines.

Wendt said he can see some problems with that rule.

"You are not going to stop kids from drinking pop," Wendt said. "They are just going to buy it somewhere else."

The new rules do not affect schools' breakfast and lunch programs because they already meet USDA standards.

"The balance was in trying to send a message about sensible nutritional eating habits, but not be so restrictive we would have kids going to a grocery store or fast food place to buy their lunch," said Carol Greta, attorney for the state board of education and the department of education.

The amended rules also prohibit selling junk food like candy bars in fundraisers targeted primarily to pre-kindergarten through 12th grade students by students, student organizations or groups.

However fundraisers organized and aimed at parents like music boosters are not regulated, neither are concession stands.

Some school officials voiced concerns at a public hearing before the rules were adopted. They felt there would be losses of valuable income, some of which goes into student activity accounts, without vending machine sales and fundraisers.

"We are not sympathetic to that argument," Greta said. "Making money off of continuing to promote bad habits in kids is not a viable reason for us to not go forward with these rules."

Valorie Kruse, a state board of education member from Sioux City, said the rules are a start, but may not include enough education for children to create a "lifetime of good health."

"It will put more responsibility on the food program directors of the districts in order to comply, but I hope it can be done," Kruse said. "I feel this was done to help promote healthy children and a healthy lifestyle for their future."