Letter: Teach students what healthy eating looks like

That was an impressive amount of cereal boxes! (“Pasco elementary collecting cereal to feed kids during spring break,” TCH, March 29)

While I applaud the effort of Emerson Elementary in Pasco, led by Principal Brooke Schuldheisz, to help feed their students over spring break, I hope next year, other foods will be chosen with higher nutritional content. The Herald photo showed Trix, Cocoa Puffs and other cereals where sugar is the second ingredient. These foods, although whole grain, have small amounts of complex carbs, protein, fiber and good fats needed for students to maintain energy and concentration.

Spring break would have been an excellent opportunity to teach students what healthy eating looks like. Here are future ideas: whole wheat tortillas and peanut butter, mixed nuts and seeds, whole grain bagels, dried and fresh fruit, canned fruit and vegetables (especially beans), canned ravioli and chili, tuna, rice. The cost of these foods is under 10 cents an ounce, except for the tuna and peanut butter, while the cereals were 20 cents an ounce.

Let’s teach our students excellent nutrition at reasonable cost with foods they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.

This story was originally published April 7, 2017 at 4:11 AM with the headline "Letter: Teach students what healthy eating looks like."