To: The Maryland State House, The Maryland State Senate, and Governor Larry Hogan
Bring healthier food to Maryland's schools
We, the parents and community members of the Maryland public school districts, respectfully request our Honorable State Legislators to pass and Governor Hogan to sign, the legislation as proposed by Healthy School Food Maryland, which seeks to improve both the school food and school food environment for the students of Maryland in support of their overall health and well-being.
Why is this important?
As parents, grandparents, parents-to-be, and community supporters, we believe that the food served by our public schools is a significant financial and social investment intended to help our students attain better health, enhance their learning, support food security, and foster a lifetime of good eating habits. However, at present, it’s not uncommon for schools to sell and market chemical-laden, sugary foods to our children, nor is it uncommon for processed meals containing additives, some of which have been shown to cause cancer, hyperactivity, and other behavioral impairments in children, to be routinely served. Healthy School Food Maryland proposes this legislation, in part, to help parents and community members know more about the foods sold in our children’s schools, and to enable us to participate in the process of establishing wellness policies for our schools. We believe that Maryland’s public schools can do more to maximize federal, state and local investments in school food so that they enhance rather than detract from the health of our children. We ask that you support the following legislation to address these concerns:
Jane Lawton Farm-to-School Act Expansion: Expand Maryland farm-to-school week from one week a year to two weeks a year, one week in the fall and one week in the spring.
School Lunch Diabetes & Obesity Reduction Act: Ask each school district to write and implement a plan to reduce sugar loads for all school-provided foods to within limits recommended by the American Heart Association.
Thirsty Kids Act: Offer free, unlimited water to children in school cafeterias by using reusable water bottles and offering cups.
Chemical-Free School Food Act: Prohibit chemicals in school food that have been shown to be carcinogenic in animal studies or associated with hyperactivity and/or other behavioral and health problems in children.
Healthy School Snacks and Marketing Act: Require 24-hour compliance with local and state guidelines for food and drinks sold and/or served in schools on a regular basis; marketing limited to only compliant foods and beverages.
School Food Transparency Act: Improve transparency of foods served in schools by providing parents with a list of a la carte, breakfast, and lunch menu items. Require menus to be posted on the school’s website, including ingredient lists and nutritional information for all foods sold.
School Wellness Committee Act: Establish standing wellness committees with parent and community representation.
For the full details and bill text, see: http://www.healthyschoolfoodmd.org