Regarding the John F. Kennedy Middle School parents who take issue with the “snacks” being offered, I must offer my support for these parents (“JFK parents take issue with new snack options,”May 17).
We live in a country that struggles with an obesity epidemic, yet we continue to suggest to our youth that “snacking” is a hobby that can involve putting anything into one’s mouth to satiate hunger. The definition of food is “any nutritious substance that people or animals eat or drink, or that plants absorb, in order to maintain life and growth.”
It seems that a number of the new items offered at the JFK snack bar fail to meet the definition of food. It is shameful that our public schools do not consider it their responsibility to teach children that what they put into their bodies does matter.
If kids are truly hungry for that midmorning snack, perhaps we should require them to settle for that piece of fruit or cheese stick — something that would, in fact, nourish them. It is laughable that the food service department is offering junk food as a way to “prepare” the children for food choices they will face in the future.
Our responsibility as adults is to model good behavior and habits, and I can hardly see how offering ice cream bars and chips is preparing young minds to turn those things down.
Carol McMurrich
Westhampton