- The Weekly Parent
- Posts
- They're changing school lunch again 🫣
TOP OF MIND
School lunch is about to change... for the better?
Beginning in fall 2025, school lunches will look a little different, thanks to some changes being implemented by the USDA. An obvious change will be to decrease the amount of added sugar being served, especially when it comes to breakfast items.
They also want to reduce the amount of sodium kids are consuming, so they're going to be gradually switching over to foods with reduced sodium.
And what about milk? Well, schools will continue to serve it, but they will be switching to low-fat and fat-free. Flavored milk (such as beloved chocolate) will remain on the menu for K-12 students.
The important bits
Overall, the changes are not all that drastic, and they won't be fully in place until 2027, so this will be a gradual transition starting in 2025. Honestly, your kid probably won't notice much of a difference.
And some doctors and nutritionists believe that's part of the problem. According to many experts, the government is simply not doing enough when it comes to protecting our children from unhealthy foods.
Blanca Garcia, registered dietician and nutritionist, doesn't understand why schools continue to push the narrative that kids, especially older kids, need milk.
Every conversation I have with parents about their child not liking regular milk comes with giving them chocolate milk. They believe milk is essential for bones, and with that fear, they exacerbate the intake of added sugars in their child's diet. The idea that we need to drink milk is so outdated. We can get those nutrients in vegetables, legumes, fruits, and whole grains.
But overall, the changes are positive. All experts agree on the goal to limit the amount of added sugar. The USDA says by 2027, added sugars will be no more than 10% of the total calories per week for breakfast and lunches.
In addition to the dietary changes inside the school, the government will be launching an EBT program this summer, to provide grocery-buying benefits to low-income families with school-aged children. You can read more on that here.
What's it all mean?
It means they're trying, which is nice. But it also highlights how confusing nutrition can be. For what it's worth, based on our own expert internet research, the vast majority of nutritionists say the Mediterranean diet is the best, and has been for decades.
The diet includes lots of vegetables and fruits, legumes and whole grains, some nuts, some seafood, chicken or tofu, with little added sugar or red meat, 'lean' or otherwise.
DID YOU HEAR
⏲ The 9-minute parenting theory
According to mom Sara Martinez, all you need is 9 minutes a day to be a great parent. She posted a TikTok explaining the thought process behind the theory, which was first coined by Jaak Panksepp. The late neuroscientist explained there are three specific, three-minute instances throughout a child's day during which a parent's presence is most needed.
Those three moments? The three minutes after your kid wakes up, the three minutes after they get home from school and the three minutes before bed. Nothing was said about the three minutes after they make you want to cry into a pillow.
💙 Have you watched the banned 'Bluey' episode?
If you've been binging 'Bluey' episodes on Disney+ with your kid, chances are you missed a pretty important episode. For some reason, the streaming service decided to pull the episode 'Dad Baby' from their servers. The good news is that it's available to watch on the Bluey YouTube channel, and this writer/parent believes it's totally worth the watch.
🧍 66% of parents are feeling lonely
Parents are not okay. According to a new study by Ohio State University, 66% of parents said the demands of child-rearing sometimes or frequently make them feel lonely and isolated. The same study revealed 62% of parents feel burned out by their responsibilities as a parent. Here's how to handle it all.
📚 There's a new reading crisis impacting young children
Believe it or not, print book sales are up 10% from 2019. Books are still thriving, but not with the demographic that needs them the most. Experts are warning parents of the "Decline by 9" reading crisis. Studies are finding that once kids reach the third or fourth grade, they stop reading for fun. That's bad news because it's at that age when lifetime readers are made. Highly recommend reading this article!
🐝 Monsters in the wall
A mom discovered 50,000 bees in the wall of her home after her daughter complained of hearing "monsters in the wall"
BITES WITH KIYAH
I’ve used ChatGPT for a lot of things, but never for coming up with a dinner plan. Until this weekend. Watch what happened when I tried it.
Results may vary...
Kiyah is the co-founder of Kizingo Kids and an expert in nutrition. Follow her on Instagram.
MOTHER’S DAY GIFTS
Mother's Day is less than a week away and you still don't have a gift for the mom in your life? Or maybe you’re a mom and have no idea what to ask for?
Maybe we can help. We scoured the web to find some of the coolest Mother's Day gifts that will (should!) arrive in time.
Cloud slippers: How do you not have these yet? Have you never wanted to walk on clouds? These super comfy pillow slippers are all the rage and just $20.
A box of cookies: Do we really need to say anything more? They're delicious and covered in chocolate.
Skincare set: Want to start taking care of your skin, but overwhelmed by all the information and products out there? This Sunday Riley Complete Brightening Skincare Set has everything you need to get started.
Birthstone necklace: We all need at least one of these.
Velvet jewelry box organizer: This beautiful Plush Velvet jewelry organizer is Oprah-approved and perfect for travelling. And it's under $30!
PARENTING WIN/FAIL
WE NEED TO RESTOCK! We're taking a week break from posting any win/fails to build our reserves.
You can help us! Just press the button below and share your parenting win/fail with us. Don't be shy. We're all in this together!
HERE’S A QUESTION
Do you send your children to school with a homemade lunch? |
Last week, we asked you how many grocery stores you visit in a typical week, and 30% of you said "two," but "three" and "as many as it takes" were tied in a close second.
RECALLS
GROUND BEEF
Beef... it's hopefully not what's for dinner. Over 16,000 pounds of ground beef produced by Cargill Meat Solutions and sold at Walmart stores across the nation have been recalled.
Why? Because it could be contaminated with E. coli. Thankfully, no illnesses have been reported, and that's hopefully because people are cooking their hamburger meat thoroughly. The ground beef in question was sold in Walmart locations in Maryland, North Carolina, Connecticut, Virgina, Ohio, New York and more.
More info here.
ALSO, IGLOO YOUTH SIPPER BOTTLES
Igloo has issued a recall on their 12 oz. Youth Sipper Bottles due to a potential choking hazard. The silicone cover on the sipper can detach while in use, which is obviously not ideal.
No injuries have been reported, and hopefully we can keep it that way. If you happen to have a bottle, Igloo recommends you remove the silicone spout and take a photo of the product. Then email them at [email protected] and they'll give you a refund.
These bottles were sold Academy Sports + Outdoors, Rural King and online at igloocoolers.com.