BAN SUGAR DRINKS and UNHEALTHY SNAKS in Miami-Dade public schools

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The Issue

Every day, hundreds of thousands of children across Miami and Miami Beach walk into their public school cafeterias and are served foods loaded with sugars and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
As mothers, caregivers, and community members from Miami Beach to the mainland, we say it's 21st century and a good time for change.
While we appreciate the district's monumental task of feeding so many kids for free , our school lunchrooms have so many sugary options that directly contradict modern pediatric guidelines. Our children are routinely served breakfast juices and flavored milks packed with added sugars, sugary pre-packaged a la carte snacks, and pastry  made with doughs with  this so popular modified corn starch thickeners.

??? WHY SO MANY OPTIONS of SUGAR ??? LESS IS MORE !!! WE ARE NOT ASKING  FOR MORE !!! ONE  PURE MILK without additives  AND ONE GOOD FRUIT INSTEAD OF JUICE !!! THEY ARE BIG ENOUGH AND CAN CHEW ALREADY !!! 

Diets high in ultra-processed ingredients and engineered corn sugars are scientifically proven to cause metabolic issues, spikes in childhood obesity, and severe drops in classroom focus and academic performance. Our kids spend their most formative years in school. The foods provided on campus should support the healthy habits we work so hard to establish at home.
Because Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) operates under a centralized wellness policy, these nutritional changes will benefit students at Biscayne Beach Elementary and every single public school across the county.
We are uniting to demand that the M-DCPS Department of Food and Nutrition immediately implements the following nutritional parameters district-wide:
PLEASE Eliminate High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and Added Sugars from all breakfast and lunch juices, smoothies, and flavored milks.
Enact a Strict Ban on Sugary Pre-Packaged Snacks in all cafeteria a la carte, reward, and vending lines.
Remove Ultra-Processed Entrees, specifically commercial pizzas manufactured with modified corn starch thickeners, and replace them with clean-label, whole-grain alternatives.
Prioritize Fresh, Scratch-Cooked Sourcing by expanding local agricultural partnerships to bring whole foods back to our school kitchens.

We love our schools, and want with this simple changes to keep our children’s metabolic health and development.

Miami-Dade Moms, parents, and neighbors: Please sign this petition today to demand a cleaner, healthier cafeteria for all our children!

 

link to 2018 Cambridge university /Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/consumption-of-sugarsweetened-and-artificially-sweetened-soft-drinks-and-risk-of-obesityrelated-cancers/14DB5E8634853560209984B07CED68B1

and one more research from 2016 form the NATIONAL LIBRARY of MEDICINE:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5365373/

The Decision Makers

Miami-Dade County School Board
8 Members
Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall
Miami-Dade County School Board - District 2
Roberto J. Alonso
Miami-Dade County School Board - District 4
Monica Colucci
Miami-Dade County School Board - District 8
Rafael Villalobos
School Superintendent

Supporter Voices

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