Your kids will be leaner, and have a healthy Body Mass Index (BMI) if they go to schools that offer healthier food and more opportunities for physical activities, research says. For elementary school age students, the cut-off is around a BMI of 20. Schools that offer an additional unhealthy item in vending machines or school canteens/cafeterias means a higher student weight but those that have an additional outdoor physical activity facility help with lowering children’s weight. The American College of Cardiology has found that compared with kids who get lunch from home, those who eat school lunches
are more likely to be overweight or obese. They are also more likely to eat two or more servings of fatty meats like fried chicken and have two or more sugary drinks a day. Naturally, they have no place in their systems for healthy foods. They end up eating less than two fruits a day; neither do they eat enough veggies. What the schools need to offer in their meals or the foods sold at the canteens/cafeterias is foods higher in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fat-free and low-fat milk, and less sodium, saturated fats, and added sugars.