With childhood obesity a growing concern, Miami-Dade preschools and schools are making it easier this year for students to get a fresh, healthy meal at breakfast, lunch and snack time, too.
An estimated 17 percent of American kids ages 2 to 19 are obese, and the Miami-Dade County Health Department received almost $15 million in federal stimulus funds for obesity prevention through the Community Putting Prevention to Work program.
Sheila Simpson of Consulting Registered Dietitians in Miami Beach is working under the grant to help make more nutritious snacks and breakfasts available to preschoolers.
Preschools voluntarily submit their menus for nutritional analysis, and Simpson suggests ways to decrease the amount of sugar and fat while increasing the amount of whole grains, fruits and vegetables.
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