- Only 2 percent of students are meeting all the recommendations of the USDA Dietary Guidelines; 16 percent do not meet any
- Less than 15 percent of school children eat the recommended servings of fruit
- Less than 20 percent eat the recommended servings of vegetables
- About 25 percent eat the recommended servings of grains
- Only 30 percent consume the recommended milk group servings
- Only 19 percent of girls ages 9 to 19 meet the recommended intakes for calcium
- Only 16 percent of school children meet the guidelines for saturated fat
The Consequences are Troubling
- Childhood obesity is a national epidemic, likely to result in earlier onset and increased prevalence of disease
- The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the past 30 years
- Unhealthy eating and physical inactivity are causes of obesity and chronic disease, resulting in at least 300,000 deaths each year
- Poor nutrition associated with heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes, alone, now costs $71 billion a year
Elementary School | Middle Schools |
Breakfast Counts - Healthy Meals 5 Min. Activity |
Breakfast Basics - Balancing Nutrients |