5 things: Student punished for posting photos of school lunch

Each Friday I compile a list that highlights five things you probably missed in the news that week and why you should care about them.

Here’s your list for the week of March 7:

1. Student punished for posting photos of school lunch

An eighth-grade student in Florida is being punished after taking—and posting to social media—photos of her school lunch. Before taking the photos, she asked permission of a school nutrition employee, who granted her permission. The student was punished because using a cell phone during school hours is against the school’s code of conduct. The student said she wanted to document her school lunches because they were “disgusting,” according to wptv.com.

In another incident this week, a student in Muncie, Ind., posted a photo of a moldy individually packed cream cheese received during a school meal. The foodservice director contacted the manufacturer and threw out the remaining cream cheese from the shipment. As cell phones are ubiquitous and not banned from schools (as was the case with the Florida student above), the classic observation “We eat with our eyes” becomes all the more important. You just never know who’s taking—and disseminating through social media—photos of your food.  
Read more: Florida Eighth-Grader Punished After Posting Photos Of School Lunch

2. Colorado State to open kosher station
Colorado State University is set to open the Kosher Bistro in its Parmelees Dining Center this fall. The idea for the station came about several years ago when the then-university president requested a kosher eatery on campus. According to an article in The Rocky Mountain Collegian, a trained kosher chef has also been hired to work the station. Colorado State isn’t the first to open kosher-focused dining operations. The College of Charleston opened an entire dining hall dedicated to kosher food in January.
Read more: After years in the works, CSU Kosher Bistro may open in fall of 2016

3. New study reveals what happens when kids skip lunch
A new study suggests that children who skip lunch might not be getting enough vitamins and minerals in the rest of their meals and snacks. Children who skip lunch tended to be deficient in vitamins A, D, E and K, along with several other essential minerals, the study found. This is the first study that looked at what happens with nutrient intake in kids when they skip lunch; other studies have focused on breakfast.
The more interesting part of the study, to me, was the amount of children who skip lunch: 7 percent of 4- to 8-year-olds skipped lunch on a given day; 16 percent of 9- to 13-year-olds skipped; and 17 percent of 14- to 18-years old skipped. Younger kids were more likely to skip lunch on the weekends, when school meals are not provided, while girls ages 9 to 18 were more likely to skip lunch during the week.
Read more: Kids who skip lunch are missing out on essential nutrients

4. Boston schools cut sugary drinks
Only 4 percent of Boston students have access to sugary drinks since they were banned from district schools in 2004, according to research published in Preventing Chronic Disease. The study took a look at the impacts of the district’s ban on sugar-sweetened beverages that was put in place years before federal mandates under the Health, Hunger-Free Kids Act would essentially do the same thing. Boston performs well compared to other districts. The study found that 89 percent of high schoolers nationwide have access to these beverages in schools. One important item of note: This study was conducted in 2013 (although the results were just released), before new federal regulations were enacted. A different study published in 2013 found that 17 percent of Boston high school students had consumed one serving or more of sugar-sweetened beverages compared with 27 percent nationally.

Read more:  Chances are, Boston schools are safe from sugary drinks

5. Feeding the country’s top runners

Two years ago the NCAA changed its rules to allow college dining departments to serve unlimited meals and snacks to their student athletes. Here’s a look at how dietitians and dining departments have worked to solve nutritional issues for some of the country’s top runners.

Read more: What Are Top Collegiate Programs Feeding Their Runners?

Bonus: Carnegie Mellon launches preorder platform

Contact Becky Schilling at [email protected].
Follow her on Twitter: @bschilling_FM