Children require well-balanced and nutritious diets to build their bodies’ immune systems and keep them healthy. Too many sugary foods in their diets pose significant health risks to them. The health risks associated with too much sugar in the diet include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and obesity, among others. Children are considered a vulnerable group in matters of healthcare. The children rely on their parents to make decisions and guide them in healthcare matters. Therefore, there is an increased need for parents and guardians to supervise the meals that the children consume carefully. Lengyel (2015) conducted an extensive study on sugar in school breakfasts. The article evaluated the performance of the national school meals program and its concern about addressing the issue of sugars in children’s diets.
The government program to curb food insecurity among students within the district was embraced positively by all education stakeholders. However, the parents raised concerns about the increase in the amount of sugar in the breakfast meal for the children. According to the parents, the rise in sugar consumption was posing significant health risks to their children. Therefore, they requested the program stakeholders to review the program and provide healthier meals for the children. The national lunch and breakfast program ensures that all district students can access nutritious meals. As a result of this objective, the program stakeholders had to review their menus. The program’s leadership team re-examined the program by setting new meal menus and setting new patterns that would ensure that the sugar and fats in the meals were reduced. The solution sought for the issue was increasing the number of vitamins in the ingredients used to prepare the breakfast meal. That is, it advocates for a greater intake of fruits and vegetables. Produce their ingredients to limit the amount of fats and sugars in the meals. Physical exercises were also added to the schedule as it was the best way to help the children minimize the number of calories in their bodies. His studies further explored the challenges or limits associated with implementing the new strategies, particularly minimizing the sugar content in the meals. However, the Houston district addressed the issue by using skimmed or low-fat milk, including whole grain cereals, while serving the meals and eliminating sweet pastries such as doughnuts (p.9). the stakeholders also held meaningful conversations with the manufacturers to discuss and strategize on the production of the meals and the sugar contents to be included.
Article response
Sugar content in meals is an essential topic that needs to be studied and addressed in everyday meals. I agree with the program’s plans and strategies for reducing sugar content in the meals. This is because limiting the sugar amounts will also help determine the intake of sugars and calories in our bodies. Producing its products is also an efficient way of managing the nutrients in the children’s meals. This is because it helps regulate the amount of sugars to be included in the manufacturing of the food. Besides, physical exercise will help burn excess calories. This means that the children’s immunity will be boosted. The stakeholder’s concern about the sugar content in the meals and finding solutions to the issue exhibits the program’s interest in promoting the children’s health and safety.
References
Lengyel, M. S., Jennifer, G., Cramer, R. D. N., LD, N., Oceguera, M. S., & Pigao MA, L. (2015). Sugar In School Breakfasts: A School District’s Perspective. Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk, 6(2), 7.
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