Butter Banned from New York City Schools

By Craig Fear

Did you know butter was quietly removed from New York City schools in 2008?

I had no idea.

Until last week when my high school buddy who lives in NYC posted this photo on my Facebook timeline:

At first glance I thought this was just another cheesy attempt by the New York Post to sell newspapers. When I realized it wasn’t from the Post I went online and found the corresponding article.

You can read it here.

Warning though. If you’re a traditional foodie, stay away from all sharp objects when you read it. In fact, I would just stay away from all objects. Go out to the middle of a field or something. Seriously, for your own safety. Run some sprints to let the frustration out. Scream. Punch the air. Tear up some grass. Cry. Scream some more.

Just let it all out.

From the article:

“The spreadable delight has been banned from school cafeterias. It can’t be used for cooking or offered with bread.

And now it’s the subject of an aggressive crackdown that threatens the livelihood of school kitchen managers who’ve dared to order the illicit treat.

‘Please explain why your managers are ordering BUTTER!!!’ a Brooklyn regional school food manager fumed in an email last week to officials overseeing 25 schools.”

Oy vay.

Sure enough, butter was removed from NYC school recipes back in 2008 as part of the campaign to fight childhood obesity and low fat oils are now used instead.

Double oy vay.

I don’t know why I should be surprised. Outdated nutritional guidelines are pretty much standard procedure in most public schools around the country. Healthy fats like butter continue to be incorrectly blamed on every health problem under the sun while heavily refined, industrially processed vegetable oils made from corn, cottonseed, canola and soybean are used instead.

To make it even worse the overwhelming majority of these oils are now genetically modified.

And fed to our children in schools.

*Sigh*

“But butter is high in artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol!” says anyone who was ever taught nutrition policies set by corporate interests to sell processed food. Sadly, that would include public schools.

Triple oy vay.

It’s articles like this that make me realize just how far we have to go in this country for people to WAKE UP and stop demonizing real, traditional foods. Like butter.

For God sake, butter is just churned cream and maybe some (gasp!)…salt. It’s been a food staple in cultures around the world for thousands of years. Thousands!

And no, those saturated fats won’t clog your arteries or make you fat.

And it’s SO liberating when you realize that.

Kinda like this:

That’s right baby! Butter IS a health food.

Want to know why?

Thanks to DaNelle Wolford of Weed ‘em and Reap for the great infographic.

Want to learn more?

Check out any of these great articles:

• Why Butter is a Health Food by Kristen Michaelis of Food Renegade.
• Five Reasons Why Butter is a Superfood by Lauren of Empowered Sustenance.
• For a Healthy Heart, Stick to Butter by Chris Kresser.
  
• Butter is Better by Emily Benfit of Butter Believer.
  
• My Family Ate 40 Pounds of Butter in 3 Months by Emily Bartlett of Holistic Squid.
• What is Everyone’s Problem with Butter? by Robin Konie of Thank Your Body.

Once you do, you’ll never go back to vegetable oil-ridden butter substitutes EVER AGAIN.

Then go ahead and get yourself some REAL butter from grass-fed cows.

You can find my absolute favorite butter here and here.

Once you taste it’s rich, creamy deliciousness you’ll look back in absolute disbelief.

Like this:

All joking aside, if you’re new to the idea of eating butter, that’s OK. I don’t mean any disrespect. After all, we’ve all been conditioned to think butter is bad for us. I used to eat margarine as well. So you have to start from where you’re at.

In addition to the articles listed above you can also sign up for my newsletter in the box below. You’ll get a free report called “The 4 Biggest Nutrition Myths that are Making Us Sick.” You can unsubscribe at any time. I’ve had many people comment to me that the report really helped them understand food and nutrition in a new way.

Regardless, don’t wait! Educate yourself. Make better choices for your kids. Because certainly the public schools are not going to do it, especially if you live in New York City.

5 Comments » | Posted in Butter, Cooking Oils |