Cupcake Ban!?!

I've been reading some of the news articles Google has been posting to my blog in the right-side column. Essentially, school districts in New Jersey, Arizona and elsewhere are banning cupcakes brought to school to celebrate kids' birthdays. I agree with this article which points out that this is totally F$%*-ed up!

We all know cupcakes aren't good for you. Ok, maybe they are straight up bad for you in many cases. But, there is actually room for food that is bad for you in all of our diets. Reality dictates this. Who eats healthy food all the time? NO one! The time to eat these unhealthy foods are days when we treat ourselves, when there is a celebration, when we remember that life is about guilty pleasure sometimes. As long as it's in moderation, it is OK. Teaching kids they shouldn't celebrate a birthday with cake just sends the wrong message about when treats are supposed to be eaten. If not on a birthday, then when?

I was involved in the Big Sister program back in Boston. My little sister, who was 10, would tell me she had 2 Cokes at school that day. 2 Cokes??? I didn't have soda until I could buy it at the store at age 12. Why are these available in school to begin with? School lunch when I was young was portion controlled food with MAYBE a small cookie for dessert and MILK. Now, kids eat buffet style and pick whatever it is they want, including soda. They have vending machines full of crap available to them all day long. THIS is what needs to change. I am one of those gals who will run a tight ship when I have a family. Elementary school is when we should be teaching our kids what to eat and building good habits with what we serve, not giving them the choice to eat all that crap. Kids are too young to make healthy choices at that age. But, we shouldn't start with birthday cupcakes. It's not about birthdays, it's about every day, healthy eating.