Organic foods apparently are developing a certain amount of youth appeal, according to a report from the Associated Press, enough so that a number of school districts in Washington State and California have begun offering organic salad bars that have proven both popular and economical.
The trend, it seems, is growing, as more and more school districts begin banning junk food and offering healthier products to school children. And manufacturers are developing programs that link to these new school strategies; “the organic yogurt company Stonyfield Farm, schools in Rhode Island, California, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire and Connecticut have or are getting new vending machines stocked with all-organic treats,” the AP reports.
According to experts, the hardest part of getting into the organic business is the cost – organic food simply is more expensive than mainstream choices, and many of the nation’s school districts are facing budget crises that restrict them from spending any more money.
But in Olympia, Washington, where a number of organic choices have been made available to school children, the district officials found an easy solution to the financial hurdle – they simply don’t offer dessert anymore. It’s fresh organic fruit at the end of the meal, or nothing.
The AP cautions, “’Organic’ doesn't necessarily mean ‘healthy,’ and pigging out on natural foods won't help your waistline. But organic programs such as (these) have successfully gotten children to eat more fruits and vegetables, which will help improve their health in the long run.”
The trend, it seems, is growing, as more and more school districts begin banning junk food and offering healthier products to school children. And manufacturers are developing programs that link to these new school strategies; “the organic yogurt company Stonyfield Farm, schools in Rhode Island, California, Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire and Connecticut have or are getting new vending machines stocked with all-organic treats,” the AP reports.
According to experts, the hardest part of getting into the organic business is the cost – organic food simply is more expensive than mainstream choices, and many of the nation’s school districts are facing budget crises that restrict them from spending any more money.
But in Olympia, Washington, where a number of organic choices have been made available to school children, the district officials found an easy solution to the financial hurdle – they simply don’t offer dessert anymore. It’s fresh organic fruit at the end of the meal, or nothing.
The AP cautions, “’Organic’ doesn't necessarily mean ‘healthy,’ and pigging out on natural foods won't help your waistline. But organic programs such as (these) have successfully gotten children to eat more fruits and vegetables, which will help improve their health in the long run.”
- KC's View:
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You have to figure that if the schools actually are able to influence the food choices that children make, these shifts are going to impact what their parents buy…and, finally, what these children buy when they grow up to become full-fledged consumers of their own.
Attention must be paid.
