Wootan: Hunger-Free Kids Act will have big impact
Margo Wootan had seen the story I wrote last week about the limited benefits of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which President Obama signed yesterday. The director for nutrition policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest said the article read like a foodie wrote it. She was smiling as she said that. There was no malice in her voice, but the subtext seemed clear: My foodie instincts — and others like mine — can’t grasp the deeper complexities of this new law.
“It’s just too simplistic to judge this bill by the money because there are all of these no-cost reforms,” she told me after the presidential signing ceremony at Harriet Tubman Elementary School, “that will help to insure that there is more healthy food in school lunches and breakfasts.”
Healthy School Kids Is An Idea Whose Time Is Now
Healthy kids grow to have healthy minds. And kids with a healthy mind can enjoy a brighter future ahead of them. Unfortunately in today’s fast-paced environment, keeping a child healthy is not just all about feeding him/her nutritious food, but also about paying attention to the child’s overall wellness and safety.
The kids come to school with a lot on their plate, and you see it all the time. There’s a concern that they’re never really able to be a kid and be able to play,” says Lesley Martin, a former principal of Terra Linda Middle School in San Carlos who now works as one of the District’s Wellness Coordinator.