The city Department of Education (DOE) may consider Doritos healthy for students but parents don’t.
Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) in School District 21 are creating their own rules for bake sales.
“Unfortunately, most of us sell chips and cookies. We’re going to try to sell yogurt and pudding because they all come in individual packaging,” explained Cecile Iacono, president of District 21’s Presidents’ Council, which is comprised of PTA and Parent Association (PA) leaders in Coney Island and Bensonhurst.
They’re reacting to the DOE’s latest rule allowing PAs and PTAs to regularly sell prepackaged snacks, including baked potato chips and reduced-fat Doritos, while homemade desserts may be sold just once a month.
The DOE prefers prepackaged snacks because they display nutritional information, whereas homemade grub does not.
However, many parents would rather have their children eat home-baked cupcakes instead of processed snacks.
Iacono’s plan comes as Manhattan parents stage a “bake-in rally” at City Hall to protest the new rules.
“This regulation mandates that if we want to raise money for our schools, we have to buy and sell junk food to our children! Our cookies and banana bread aren’t good enough,” asserted a group of East Village parents organizing the rally. “Our children cannot receive the message that junk food is healthier for them than foods cooked at home. This will only encourage a lifetime of bad eating habits.”
