Fatty Foods in School

Today, childhood obesity is a growing problem. Obesity rates in toddlers, children, and adolescents have all grown exponentially, which puts children at risk for diseases like type 2 diabetes and can lead to body-image and self-confidence issues.



Recently efforts to eliminate childhood obesity have gained momentum. First Lady Michelle Obama, for example, started the Let's Move campaign. There is also legislation in progress seeking to eliminate all fatty and sugary foods from schools. These foods tend to be extremely high in calories and low in nutritional value.

Candy

• Candy bars and other sweet snacks are extremely high in fats and sugar while providing little nutritional value. For example, a Kit-Kat bar contains 476 calories, almost a fourth of a day's worth, which primarily come from the candy bar's 26 grams of fat and 49 grams of sugar. A Snicker's bar contains 289 calories, 14 grams of fat and 30 grams of sugar. While these foods are not offered in preprepared school lunches, they are often offered a la carte or in vending machines in cafeterias.

Chips and Other Snacks

• Potato chips and snacks such as French fries or tater tots are high in fat due to being fried and are available a la carte or in vending machines in schools. A 1 ounce serving of Lay's Potato Chips contains 150 calories and 10 grams of fat. Generally, 1 gram of fat is equal to about 8 calories, so more than half the calories come from fat. French fries differ, but a typical serving has between 300 and 400 calories and as many as 20 grams of fat. Other snacks include cookies, other kinds of chips, and some cheeses.

Main Courses

• Many students choose fatty foods, such as pizza, hamburgers and burritos, as their main course. Pizza is loaded with fat heavy cheeses, like cheddar. Personal pizzas have between 400 and 600 calories and around 23 grams of fat and single pizza slices have around 200 calories and around 15 grams of fat. Hamburgers vary depending on the preparation and kind of meat and buns used, but generally have around 300 calories and between 15 and 20 grams of fat. Other meals heavy fat include meals that are fried, contain large amounts of cheese or fatty meats, like beef.

Spreads and Condiments

• Ranch dressing is notorious for its fat content, adding around 100 calories and 15 grams of fat to any salad. Also beware of cream based sauces, such as pesto and Alfredo. These sauces can add as many as 200 calories and between 20 and 25 grams of fat. Peanut butter is another spread high in fat; however, peanut butter fat is healthier and is OK in moderation.