Bananas and broccoli just don't stack up to cupcakes and candy.
Parents used to be encouraged to bring healthful treats to school on special occasions to share with their classmates, but now sugary snacks are banned altogether, leaving some parents in the Neenah school district pretty sour.
"What I think children have to do is learn to eat treats in moderation; it's going to be all around them the rest of their lives."
Donna Weihofen Senior Nutritionist at UW Hospital says we're surrounded by temptations every where we go, the kids are better off getting used to it at a young age.
"Just by feeding them apples for their birthday treats it doesn't really teach them that a small cookie or a cupcake is fine but eating four cupcakes is not a good idea. I think the earlier you learn moderation and how to incorporate into a healthy diet the better off you are."
While healthful snacks or non-food items such as tiny toys are good ideas, Weihofen says another option is to take the traditional treats and experiment with making them more healthful.
"You can see 'what can we do to make a chocolate chip cookie healthier?' For instance, in one of my cookbooks I take out half of the fat and I replace it with blended white beans."
Weihofen says even diabetics on a strict diet can eat tasty treats every now and again. She doesn't think schools should MANDATE healthful treats, but admits it's a great SUGGESTION .
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report (1:34 MP3)
