Better School Vending Snacks?

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Created on 01, November, 2004

A major online news/search company’s article about schools’ efforts to combat obesity lists peanuts as an example of “the least nutritious foods” and fruit bars and sunflower kernels as examples of “the most nutritious foods.” These food categories are part of a software program that is supposed to help schools and students choose better snacks from vending machines.

Peanuts are at least as nutritious as sunflower kernels (both have similar fat profiles and contain protein and important minerals) and in many cases more nutritious than “fruit bars” (which can be all kinds of things, including slabs of not-so-nutritious processed dried fruit that is mostly full of sugar).