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Packed lunches 'have poorer nutritional quality' than school lunches
Medical News Today ^ | November 7, 2014 | by Honor Whiteman

Posted on 11/08/2014 9:02:17 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

Many parents prefer to send their children off to school with a packed lunch, believing that the food they have given them is far healthier than school lunches. But a new study, published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, claims this may not be the case.

The research team, led by Alisha R. Farris of the Department of Human Nutrition, Food and Exercise at Virginia Tech, found that school lunches had better average nutritional quality than packed lunches.

"We found that both packed and school lunches almost entirely met nutrition standards, except school lunches were below energy and iron recommendations, whereas packed lunches exceeded fat and saturated fat recommendations," says Farris.

But despite drives to improve the quality of school lunches, around 40% of parents continue to prepare a packed lunch for their children. However, Farris notes that - unlike school lunches - there are no guidelines that recommend what foods parents should include in their children's packed lunches.

The team found that packed lunches contained a lot more energy, carbohydrates, fat, saturated fat and sugar than school lunches. They also contained much lower levels of protein, fiber, vitamin A and calcium.

The researchers say these findings are likely to be a result of the USDA guidelines promoting higher exposure to fruits and vegetables, while packed lunches were more likely to contain savory snacks, desserts and sugar-sweetened drinks.

Sodium content, however, was found to be much higher in school lunches that packed lunches, even though the team says packed lunches were more likely to contain processed foods. What is more, school lunches were found to contain lower levels of vitamin C and iron than packed lunches.

(Excerpt) Read more at medicalnewstoday.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: mooch; nannystate
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Bacon and Eggs can be nutritious, heck the liquid nutrition bottles for old folks are nutritious, but doesn`t mean it`s good for you. Heart patients need to be aware of the bad fats they have in them, hydrogenated palm oil etc

A heart healthy diet is NOT the same thing as a good nutritious meal

You can have a “nutritious” meal that is loaded with all the bad fats and actually be NOT a heart friendly meal.

Speaking from the point of view from a member of a family with heart disease.

A lot of these granola type bars that are advertised as good for you? Hey they are indeed “nutritious” but NOT something someone with heart disease should be eating.

Nutrition does not equal heart healthy

just saying


41 posted on 11/08/2014 9:38:21 AM PST by Friendofgeorge (Justice for officer Darren------------ PALIN 2016 OR BUST)
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To: Sacajaweau

They are studying the lunches the school serves. They aren’t studying the food waste where all the salads and vegetables end up in the trash.


42 posted on 11/08/2014 9:39:46 AM PST by tbw2
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To: Bryanw92
Uneaten food is not nutritional. If nutrition was all that mattered, we’d eat astronaut food and vitamin pills.:

Ding, ding, ding - we have a thread winnah!

43 posted on 11/08/2014 9:42:45 AM PST by GOPJ ( MSNBC is left-wing radio with pictures. CNN's anchors are mostly tired, left-wing & smug.. -Nolte)
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To: Balding_Eagle

This is like the school regulations that say all kids have to get milk - even the lactose intolerant.
Or that all kids must take 2 fruits and veggies, even if they won’t eat it.


44 posted on 11/08/2014 9:43:50 AM PST by tbw2
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

So which lunch is your child more likely to eat?


45 posted on 11/08/2014 9:50:27 AM PST by Mike Darancette (AGW-e is the climate "Domino Theory")
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To: smokingfrog
Exactly. Mostly out of necessity for my parents. My parents weren't rich or on government assistance. Plus my mom was a home-maker.

Contrary to what they try to tell you, the school lunch is not free for most people.

46 posted on 11/08/2014 9:50:31 AM PST by dhs12345
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Another “Well, who you gonna believe, me or your own eyes?” moment from The Most Corrupt Administration In American History.


47 posted on 11/08/2014 10:13:49 AM PST by rockrr (Everything is different now...)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Total nonsense. The writer of the article has no idea what is in a packed lunch. There is no standard packed lunch. Each parent makes an individual decision about the contents. There is no such thing as an “average” packed lunch.

This is stupidity on display.


48 posted on 11/08/2014 10:15:00 AM PST by I want the USA back (Media: completely irresponsible. Complicit in the destruction of this country.)
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To: tbw2

I teach & the amount of food thrown out is astoundingly depressing. In some cases whole lunches. I grew up eating pretty healthy ( what was then called health food or hippie food),but you can’t force that on kids. They simply DON’T like it. For the record I just bought two containers of Almond Rocca at Walgreens!!!!! I’m still a little twigs & nuts, but I love a good porkchop!


49 posted on 11/08/2014 10:24:38 AM PST by leaning conservative (snow coming, school cancelled, yayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

The next thing you know they will control the meals you make at home


50 posted on 11/08/2014 10:49:10 AM PST by GeronL (Vote for Conservatives not for Republicans)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

At this age, these standards mean nothing. I’d rather a child ate something than to pitch their whole lunch in the trash bin. I’m speaking from a school nurse’s reasoning. Many kids go through phases where they won’t eat anything but a select few foods. Surely these people know that, but they are in charge and since their CIC has an attitude of, “It’s my way or the highway!”, they believe that they have the right do force this on everybody, too!


51 posted on 11/08/2014 10:54:00 AM PST by Shery (Pray for righteousness to be restored and for the peace of Jerusalem.)
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To: Bryanw92
If nutrition was all that mattered, we’d eat astronaut food and vitamin pills.



Actually, "Space Food Sticks" would be an upgrade in some cases.
52 posted on 11/08/2014 10:56:51 AM PST by Dr. Sivana ("If you're litigating against nuns, you've probably done something wrong."-Ted Cruz)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

They need to ask what Alisha Farris and her team ate for school lunch growing up!


53 posted on 11/08/2014 11:34:24 AM PST by jimmyo57
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To: all the best

Republicans need to stand with the kids on this one...


54 posted on 11/08/2014 12:42:46 PM PST by GOPJ ( MSNBC is left-wing radio with pictures. CNN's anchors are mostly tired, left-wing & smug.. -Nolte)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

55 posted on 11/08/2014 12:47:13 PM PST by dfwgator (The "Fire Muschamp" tagline is back!)
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To: GeronL

... The next thing you know they will control the meals you make at home...

They already are in some California schools. If you don’t eat the government lunch, you can bring a sack lunch but it must be the exact meal every day. No change. They actually check and enforce it in lunch rooms.


56 posted on 11/08/2014 12:59:56 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
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To: Dr. Sivana

>>Actually, “Space Food Sticks” would be an upgrade in some cases.

Is that from the 1970’s? The funny thing is that those sticks would probably not pass the food police inspection today.


57 posted on 11/08/2014 1:01:04 PM PST by Bryanw92 (Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: Bryanw92
Is that from the 1970’s?

Better! Late '60s. They actually tasted pretty good, but were expensive. I liked the peanut butter ones. I can still remember the commercial.
58 posted on 11/08/2014 1:35:02 PM PST by Dr. Sivana ("If you're litigating against nuns, you've probably done something wrong."-Ted Cruz)
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To: Balding_Eagle
BINGO! And why exactly are people being paid at the federal level to intervene in what kids eat? at the state and local level?? Kids will eat or not eat whatever lunch they are provided, home or school; they will trade; they will throw away. If they have money, they will buy snacks they want. Get real, federal-es!
59 posted on 11/08/2014 1:40:51 PM PST by AMDG&BVMH
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To: DJ MacWoW
No. Just a sandwich from home that isn’t government approved.

THEY are the best kind.

60 posted on 11/08/2014 3:16:24 PM PST by cloudmountain
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