Kids Cooking and Cookbook Blog

The USDA has announced a “Smart Snacks  in School” proposal to serve as guidelines for school snack offerings. These nutrition standards are

for all foods sold in schools, including vending machines, school snack bars and foods sold a la carte. To read the proposed rule and provide feedback and comments go to regulations.gov.

An emphasis will be placed on  foods that have as their main  ingredients whole grains, low-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables or protein foods. Occasional bake sales and birthday treats can still be allowed.

Consumers know various food products are loaded with ingredients and chemicals not deemed to be in their best interest. Therefore,

buying organic has been the food of choice for many. But does “organic” always mean it is pure, locally produced foods from small family farms? Is it much healthier than regular food not labeled this way?

This article takes you behind the scenes of boards who decide what should be considered organic and who makes up those boards. It is rather lengthy but a good overview of the industry. So take some time this week-end and have a look: