Adults who are trying to lose weight might be a tad envious of Florida schoolchildren who get to try the South Beach diet at school:
Nine-year-old Kelly Ferrer no longer gets the waffles, pancakes and sugar cereals that she loved eating for breakfast last year in her school cafeteria. This year, instead, she is served whole-wheat bread, lowfat cheese and fruit.Does she like it? No.
"I want to go back to the old menu," said the fourth-grader at Mill Creek Elementary School. "We had better food last year."
Kelly's is one of six schools in this Orlando suburb taking part in a study by a research center founded by Dr. Arthur Agatston, the author of "The South Beach Diet." The goal of the study is to figure out whether school cafeterias are capable of serving more nutritious food, whether kids will eat it and whether their health will improve...
Although the 3,000 students in the study haven't been put on the low-carb diet per se, many of the diet's guiding principles have been incorporated into school menus. White bread has been stricken and replaced with whole-wheat. White potatoes were subbed with sweet potatoes. French fries were abolished. Grilled chicken replaced breaded chicken. Fruits serve as dessert.
As long as they're not actually limiting calories - and it sounds like they aren't - this seems like a good idea.
Update: I bet Lee would think it's a good idea, too.
Posted by kswygert at March 7, 2005 06:09 AM