City Bans Homemade Desserts at School Bake Sales

Months after it barred schools from holding most food fundraisers, the city says bake sales can go on—as long as no homemade treats with undisclosed calorie counts grace the fold-out tables. The new regulation, designed to combat ever-increasing childhood obesity, limits bake sales to "fresh fruits and vegetables, or one of 27 specific packaged items" that include low-fat Doritos, Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars (blackberry only) and Linden’s Cookies (butter crunch, chocolate chip or fudge chip cookies in two cookie packs) among other things. The city has also recently slapped health regulations on school vending machines and is considering a "Meatless Monday" school lunch program.

The problem with baked goods made from scratch is that there's just no telling how many calories and fat grams are contained within (as opposed to processed foods where fat, preservatives and artificial coloring are clearly listed). “It’s impossible to know what the content is, or what the portion size is,” said Kathleen Grimm, who oversees the regulation. But students protested, and not only because the rule means losing a part of their livelihoods: “It’s unrealistic to say a young adult can’t make a decision about whether they can eat something,” David Greenblatt, a senior, told City Room. “Soon I’ll be in college, and I won’t have Mommy or Daddy or Chancellor Klein sitting right next to me saying, ‘Hey David, don’t eat that, its too high in calories.’”

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By Sabrina Jaszi in News on February 23, 2010 3:53 PM

Comments [rss]

ly2020

Perhaps nutritional advocates are taking it too far. In terms of eating, I agree with the Jamie Oliver philosophy over the calorie count dogma. That is it's okay to eat anything that is scratched-cooking. If we look at ethnic cooking and how other countries and cultures eat, we don't see the same levels of health-related problems like obesity, hearth disease, and diabetes that exist in the US. I applaud the city for banning the vending machine which contains mostly high fructose corn syrup products but banning bake sales is sending the wrong message to young people. There is nothing wrong with real sugar except that manufacturers choose the cheaper alternative (HFCS) for America.

Low-income kids would be so much better off if they just had more access to real food. And as for the meatless monday, it's a good idea but again I would go with 5 days of real food over this attack on meat.

Telephone 280

Gee, you grim Kathleen Grimm: are you trying to be the next MeMe Roth? You control freaks seem to think you're the smartest people on earth, but in reality, you're only the most annoying.

ottoemezzo

This Food Police thing is really going too far. Besides isn't what kids eat when they're NOT in school more of a problem? Think about the number of Dunkin' Donuts, Chipotle and McDonald's all over the city. It's about education and changing habits.

Darrell

Amazing, you can pump kids with milk from the cafeteria filled with growth hormone, but introduce a cupcake into the mix and suddenly everyone's obese.

Maybe fat kids are fat because of the way they are raised and poor impulse control. Maybe the other 70% of kids who aren't fat should be able to enjoy things like pizza parties and vanilla frosted cake without childless bleeding heart liberals screaming about calorie counts.

Jen S

Wait til Doritos hears about this. They'll want a cut of the action.

greeen

OH YEAH packaged doritos soooo much better than a homebaked muffin because it has a f*kkin number on it. GET A CLUE a** holes in the Guvmnt.

RevWaldo

Don't take the bake out of bake sales! Where else in this city can you buy a plate full of homemade brownies for 5-10 bucks?

babyhitler

David Greenblatt, a senior, told City Room. “Soon I’ll be in college, and I won’t have Mommy or Daddy or Chancellor Klein sitting right next to me saying, ‘Hey David, don’t eat that, its too high in calories.’”

yeah but in ten years you'll be asking uncle sam for medicare money for your hypertension, diabetes, high cholestorol and crying about how you couldn't control yourself.

Clarice City

...and calling it "diabeetus". And parking in a handicap spot just because you're fat.

DaleyGrind

Ridiculous.

Snoopy

This city is starting to lose its concept of reality. Shorter parades, now a bake sale content prohibition along with meatless Mondays. KNOCK IT OFF BLOOMBERG!

Force the fatties to run 10 miles a day before or after school. That way they pay for infringing on other people's personal space.

Clarice City

They might have to now that they've lost their free metrocards. Kidz be losing some weight now.

Lautaro

Doritos. Linden cookies. But nothing without a calorie count. Right.

valeriob

This just in - kids more than 10 pounds overweight no longer allowed on buses or trains; forced to jog to school.

nanas11

They are totally missing the point. The processed foods they are offering as alternatives to home baked goods are filled with chemicals, preservatives and tons of sodium. These are the real culprits of childhood obesity as well as the heart disease, diabetes etc etc that plague American society. Let them eat cake god dammit - but teach them how to eat (using moderation and a well-balanced diet).

Clarice City

mmmm...carrot stick sale! How do they expect to raise any money with shit like zuccinis and celery sticks? Maybe parents should take the time to be teaching their kids how not to become a fat ass and other wouldn't have to suffer such a blasphemous "bake sale".

juliec

It sucks to be a kid these days, apparently.

Greenpoint60

Stupid, they will be able to enforce this rule.

JenChungsBaby

You gotta be kidding me with this. No homebaked goods at school bake sales because they don't disclose the calorie content??? That is really stupid. I hope the next mayor overturns this rule on Day 1.

TK

An unintended consequence of this regulation is that kids and parents still dont know what is really going in the foods they eat unless its presented to them in 3pt helvetica on the inside fold of plastic wrapper.

This rule just keeps small, mom and pop bakers from having opportunities to provide fresh, healthy options to the kids. But at least Frito-Lay (Doritos) and Kellogs (Nurti-Grain) get a chance to promote their products.