No more bake sales in California schools?

“I don’t think all celebrations need to be around food,” said Ann Cooper, the director of nutrition services for the Berkeley school district. “We need to get past the mentality of food used for punishment or praise.”

This is from a New York Times Article, Bake Sales Fall Victim to Push For Healthier Foods

Ok, yes I agree to some extent. But how far do we take this? To the point of no more bakes sales to raise money for school programs? I think soda machines and candy vending machines have no place in schools, nor do hostess cupcakes and the likes. I'd like to see all meals actually cooked, not nuked out of a box in our schools, and I'd love to see all schools with gardens and the return of home ec. But how far do we take this? To the point that we can never ever bring a homemade goodie to school, just because the fat content doesn't fit the government mandate? We can eat good wholesome food that is occasionally a bit on the high side in fat or sugar, as long as we learn to slow down and eat, not gobble. As long as we savor and enjoy and stop eating when we're full instead of ramming as much tasteless cardboard burgers down our throats as fast as we can. If we learn to slow down and enjoy our food (read real food not fast food) and quit worrying about the fat and sugar content, as long as it's real and natural fat and sugar, we lose our urge to over indulge. And, we need to get our kids away from the computers, tv,s, cell phones and all of the rest of the menagerie of tech items that keep them from getting up and exercising, playing, and interacting with each other. We don't need a nanny state going over board and feeding us nothing but sprouts and hummus. We need to educate our kids about nutrition and exercise, about a healthy lifestyle. You can enjoy good savory food cooked in butter. Look at the French. It has flavor, and they sit down and eat together and make an event out of it. Who said food isn't a celebration? That's just bunk. If we made it more of a celebration and less of a competition we wouldn't have the problems we do now. At least that's how I see it.