Posts Tagged by Cupcakes
Should We Just “Let Kids Be Kids” When It Comes to Junk Food?!?
| May 22, 2014 | Posted by Stacy under Classroom parties, Classroom treats, Cupcakes, Healthy parties, Junk food in school, Obesity, School parties, Sugar |
A class party without cookies, donuts or cupcakes topped with two inches of frosting? Shocking, I know. But this year, thanks to their nutrition-conscious teacher, my twins and their Kindergarten classmates have feasted on fresh fruit and wholesome treats like whole grain carrot muffins at most school celebrations, including birthdays. And guess what? They are […] more
Michelle Obama, Can You Hear Us?!? We Need Help Getting Junk Food Out of Our Schools!!
| February 27, 2014 | Posted by Stacy under Cupcakes, Improving school food, Junk food in school, Making change, Wellness policy |
I always planned on having healthy kids. I breastfed. I made homemade baby food. As my children got older, I tried hard to serve fruits and veggies at every meal and limit processed snacks. It wasn’t always easy, but I did the best that I could to instill good eating habits. Then my kids entered […] more
A Healthy School Birthday Party–But Did We Really Need the Food?
| January 10, 2014 | Posted by Stacy under Classroom parties, Classroom treats, Cupcakes, Healthy parties, Healthy school snacks |
My oldest son recently celebrated his 8th birthday. Last year, when he was in 1st grade, birthdays were celebrated once a month as a group. But his 2nd grade teacher follows a different playbook: She allows each student to bring in a treat to share with the class. When I suggested bringing popcorn as his birthday […] more
Who Needs Cupcakes?!? Planning a Healthy (& Fun!) School Birthday Party
| April 25, 2013 | Posted by Stacy under Cupcakes, School parties |
I don’t know when the custom of celebrating birthdays at school started. I certainly don’t remember having cupcakes every time a classmate turned a year older. While more schools are creating policies to limit junk food in the classroom, many still don’t have any rules when it comes to parties. And if each child in […] more
Speaking Up for Healthy School Food: A Letter to the Principal—and His Response
| March 22, 2013 | Posted by Stacy under Cupcakes, Improving school food, Junk food in school, School parties |
I’m taking a big deep breath right now. I’d planned another post for today but something came up. You see, a couple weeks ago, I sent an email to my first grader’s principal about the junk food problem at the school. Yesterday, I got his response. More on that in a minute. Just so you […] more
24 Hours of Junk Food: A Day in the Life of an Average School Kid
| March 14, 2013 | Posted by Stacy under Junk food in school |
“It’s just one fill in the blank [cupcake, cookie, lollipop, M&M, etc.]!” That’s the argument often used to justify feeding our kids junk food. But here’s the thing: It isn’t “just one.” Not. Even. Close. These days, children are being handed highly processed fatty/sugary/salty food right and left, often without their parents’ knowledge or permission. It is, […] more
Getting Junk Food Out of School: How Your School District Wellness Policy Can Help
| March 8, 2013 | Posted by Stacy under Junk food in school |
The single worst thing to happen to my kids’ eating habits was starting school. A bold statement, I know, but it’s true. It isn’t like they’d never had cheap, neon-colored cupcakes and artificially infused candy before walking through the doors. But with their enrollment (beginning with preschool) came a dramatic boost in their consumption of […] more
Taking a Stand Against Junk Food in School: Why It’s Hard–But We Need to Anyway!
| February 28, 2013 | Posted by Stacy under 100th Day of School, Classroom treats, Cupcakes, Food Nazis, Improving school food, Junk food in school, School parties, School policy, Sugar |
It’s February 28, and barring any unforeseen treats at school today, here’s a final tally of my first grader’s classroom junk food scores for the month: two frosted cupcakes; chocolate fudge; salt-water taffy; a bag of 100 Days of School trail mix consisting of candy corn, marshmallows, Cheez-Its, and yogurt-covered pretzels; and a big box filled with Valentine’s candy (mini […] more
A Healthy School Birthday Party: My Wish Come True!
| October 19, 2012 | Posted by Stacy under Classroom parties |
Later this morning, my first grader’s class will be having a joint party for all the students with October birthdays–which includes my son, who turned 7 on Wednesday. This is a great change from last year, when each child’s birthday was celebrated individually, resulting in a lot of missed learning time and (not surprisingly!) a […] more
Healthy School Parties: 18 Fun Cupcake Alternatives (and Ways to Celebrate Without Food!)
| September 12, 2012 | Posted by Stacy under Cupcakes, Healthy classroom treats, Healthy parties, Recipes, School parties |
Last year, in a moment of sugar-induced maternal frustration, I tried to estimate how many treats kids at an elementary school like my son’s (with no restrictions on classroom celebrations) get in a year. I started by taking the average class size in the United States (20 children, according to the National Center for Education Statistics). Assuming […] more
I created this blog to raise awareness and start a dialogue about the various issues involved in school food. By writing about it, I hope to provide parents and educators with ideas and inspiration for making healthy changes in their own schools. Since healthy eating habits start at home, I also address common feeding challenges faced by parents.
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