Bob

I've noticed that, odd lunch times...where MIL teaches, they have a staggered lunch break depending on the years, first two get lunch at 10:30, the second set get it at 11:30....all very, partly to keep a better eye on the kids apparantly as they get a few bomb threats from the kids, so no one is allowed to use the toilet unless they get a signed note from their teacher and are accompanied by someone from the office, and they get timed...all very weird...especially as there's a kid that hasn't been expelled for shooting an air gun at a open school bus window, he winged someone in the face, but as it wasn't a "proper" firearm, they couldn't expel him, that and it happened in public road, across the drive from the school, so not considered the school, thus nothing to do with the school...all very weird

Guelder Rose

My daughter came home with a note from her school on Friday ... they now have a vending machine that contains water, milk and Gatorade for a $1 each. My daughter now wants a $1 each day so she can buy the Gatorade ... no surprise there!

I assumed that Gatorade must be okay, but checked the label when I went to the store ... second ingredient = high fructose corn syrup ... the rest was a bunch of chemicals and other weird stuff. They won't sell soda because it's unhealthy ... who the hell decided Gatorade was okay?

dunroving

Sugar- and calorie-wise, Gatorade is not much better than fizzy drinks (and even less healthy than diet fizzy drinks). For example:

16 oz of Gatorade has 120 calories (kcal), almost all of which comes from simple sugars.
16 oz Coca Cola Classic has 140 calories, again almost all of which comes from simple sugar (I had to get this from the internet; don't touch non-diet sodas)

- these values vary between different Gatorade flavors and soda types.

The only "healthy" thing about Gatorade vs fizzy drinks is that Gatorade has some electrolytes (sodium, potassium), and calcium that help you replace those you sweat out during exercise (not a concern for most kids these days), therefore reducing muscle cramps. Also, Gatorade doesn't have some of the chemicals you find in fizzy drinks that can do nasty things like affect bone mineral, and have names you can't spell.

Gatorade is like Power Bars - glorified sugar food, intended as a readily-digested source of carbohydrates for athletes who are expending energy and sweating at a rapid rate.

Bob

hehe...so gaterade are sponsoring the vending machine?...but it's not really a healthy drink unless your actually drinking it for its intended use, during sports...

dunroving

Even milk (and orange juice) have high calorie content, again mostly from simple sugars. The difference is that they also are nutrient-dense (i.e., have some good stuff like vitamins, minerals, calcium, etc.), and the sugars are more naturally occurring (rather than the refined sugars you get in sodas).

So OJ and milk are OK, but not for all-day thirst-quenching purposes. If your kids get thirsty often, they are best drinking water (or, at a stretch, the occasional non-caffeinated, diet soda). You know, water really doesn't taste that bad at all, it's just that most kids don't get the chance to realize it.

Elvira

I agree. One problem is, though, that the water fountains at our high school often don't work properly. The water they dispense (my sons claim...) is warm and (quote) "yukky".

Guelder Rose

Exercise! lol I was just five minutes late in picking my daughter up from school on Friday and you should have heard the fuss she made ... "You left me standing outside waiting ... blah, blah, blah." She went on and on about it ... like standing for five whole minutes was such a hard task ... but, then again, kids these days seem to think doing anything other than sitting in front of a pc, game machine or TV is some kind of torture!

I already know she is going to be mighty upset on Monday when she learns that she won't be getting a $1 a day to buy Gatorade!

Bob

I don't know....it can taste pretty nasty in places
But yeah, your right...it's not to bad generally...

Dan@

Although it's a good gesture to promote healier eating, the teens will always find a way of getting their treats.