No more cake for students in Queensland, Australia.
Under new guidelines issued last month by the state’s education minister, Anne Bligh, junk food will be banned from all public schools for all but two days a term.
Starting next June, menus for students will include such nutritious foods as cereals, vegetables, fruit, milk, yogurt, lean meat, fish, poultry, and legumes.
Out on all but those two days will be soft drinks and high-fat, high-calorie snacks such as cakes, chocolates, and hot chips, otherwise known as french fries.
Ms. Bligh said it was important to improve the quality of schools’ food and drinks and encourage children to make healthier choices in order to fight an alarming increase in obesity. One in every four Australian children is considered overweight.
“The aim is to create a school culture focused on promoting a healthy lifestyle because a healthy diet can be the key to a healthy mind,” she said in a statement.
The food and drinks children consume can also have a major effect on dental health, she added.
