School bake sales victims of nutrition rules

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 10/26/8 | Carolyn Jones

[SmithL]

The era of the chocolate cookie, sold from a card table for 25 cents, is rapidly fading on California school campuses.

Thanks to the state's tough new nutritional standards for public schools, bake sales - that age-old staple of school fundraising - are nearly obsolete. Cookies, cupcakes, pizza and other easy-to-sell goodies invariably exceed the fat, sugar and caloric limits set by the Legislature for foods sold on campus to schoolkids.

And at a time when school budgets are being slashed, some parents and school staff are mourning the loss.

"Bake sales are one of the quickest and easiest ways for schools to raise money," said Wendy Morrison, president of the Montclair Elementary School Parent-Teacher Association in Oakland. "To limit this option has a significant impact on fundraising. And as a parent, it should really be my choice if I want to buy my child a cookie or slice of pizza after school."

The state guidelines, passed by the Legislature in 2005 and gradually being implemented at districts around the state, require that snacks sold on campuses during the school day not contain more than 35 percent of calories from fat, 1 percent of calories from saturated fat and 35 percent sugar by weight. Snacks must also not exceed 175 calories at elementary schools or 250 calories at middle and high schools.

That pretty much eliminates bake-sale fare, although the law allows high-fat, high-calorie snacks to be sold 30 minutes after the school day ends.

"The intent of the legislation was not to eliminate bake sales, but to improve the quality of food that's available to students," said Amanda Bloom, policy director of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy,

[SmithL]

Nanny State Alert!

[Jeff Chandler]

First they came for the bake sales, and I didn’t speak up because I sold lemonade...

[Mojave]

School isn’t for cookie sales. It’s for indoctrinating children in the glories of homosexual marriage and abortion.

[jmcenanly]

this picture might be useful for any future Nanny State pings.

[weegee]

“Tofu Monster luv tofu!”

[Red in Blue PA]

Learn the new rules:

Condoms are okay; cookies are not.

[freespirited]

Have they banned Girl Scout cookies yet?

[peggybac]

Teaching the virtues of homosexuality in school is a hell of a lot more dangerous than the sugar content of cookies.

[NetSurfer]

Let’s ban happiness and enjoyment, while we’re at it.

[polymuser]

This is no longer the America I knew.

[KarlInOhio]

I remember all the sales for various clubs in school. The lame clubs had the Christmas gift wrap sales where you sold a couple of rolls to your parents and grandparents through guilt. They only way they could have made money was a 90% margin. Then there were the clubs with various candy sales which you could count on other students buying by the dozen. Back before gummi candy became popular, German club imported cases of Gummi Bears and sold to fund our club activities [ including a hostile take over of French club :-) ]. The other students would hunt for people with German books just to buy those tasty addictive bears. With silly rules like this those sales would be illegal.

[VRW Conspirator]

I want to sing.

[evilrightwingconspirator]

Hmm.... let’s see... why worry about bake sales? how about worrying about the”food” that so many cafeterias sell to the kids? if you wanna change the nutritional value of food sold in schools, start with the cafeterias, where the WORST food is served. But, then again, that would just make too much sense for the state of California (or New York, for that matter...)

[edcoil]

I just looked at my children's on-line menus for their schools and do not see any nutritional values with the food items.

[weegee]

STDs and abortions are ok, calories are not.

[goldi]

Some schools hire “wellness coordinators” to make sure they’re in compliance. What a load of garbage. Either you make available baked goods during the day or you don’t. You don’t need to hire someone to determine that.

Public schools are a racket. And a nuisance.

[Mase]

Idiots on parade. The schools are so concerned about obesity that, in addition to eliminating calories, they've also eliminated recess. Leaves more time for indoctrination.

And too many parents support this nonsense or don't care. Child abuse comes in many forms.