tannazie's Flickr photostream/Creative Commons

New York City’s Education Department has banned most school bake sales, becoming the strictest of a growing number of school districts across the country trying to combat childhood obesity and increase healthy food options.  While I am entirely in support of providing better nutritional choices for students, I wonder if an outright ban of the fundraising events is the best battle to fight.

I can understand the need to reduce the number of high-fat and sugary snacks available to kids throughout the day, but I would think that by encouraging bake sale organizers to provide healthier alternatives, schools could still keep this long standing tradition intact.  Many school organizations and sports teams depend on the additional revenue that bake sales generate, and at a time when budgets are thinning all over, a ban eliminates a significant fundraising opportunity. 

I’ve also never been a fan of labeling any particular type of food as “off-limits,” as that tends to create even more of an allure for kids, who will likely seek out the forbidden fruit (or rather, cupcake) elsewhere and could be more inclined to overindulge.  That said, I can understand that parents who are concerned about what their children eat, particularly with cases of diabetes, allergies or other health issues, would be relieved to know that there is one less place for their kids have access to foods they shouldn’t eat.

So, I suppose I’m a bit torn over the issue, but the ban still seems particularly harsh and energy might be better spent increasing the healthy options in the lunch room and eliminating vending machines full of junk food (which the new policy still allows, albeit with “reduced fat/salt/calorie” versions of processed foods).

What do you think?  Is the bake sale ban a key component to fighting childhood obesity or could a compromise be reached?  Let us know in the comments section below and use the action link to help increase the healthier options for school lunches.