The switch from regular sodas to all diet and sugarless drinks in school is part of a national effort to get sugar out of the schools.
by Sam Thomas
photo by Manny Perez
Most TJ students have noticed something different while walking through the halls; something is just not as sweet as it used to be.
One look at any one of the many Pepsi machines scattered through the halls of Thomas Jefferson and, to the astonishment of many students, it becomes obvious that there is no regular pop; nothing but diet, assorted fruit drinks, water, and low carb sports drinks. Students go from pop machine to pop machine to find their regular full-of-sugar Pepsi, but they won’t find one in this school because sugar is out and Sweet N’ Low is in. The district made the move to all health drinks in a brand new nation-wide reform against bad sugar drinks. But what does all this mean?
In the new contract between the district and the soft drink company almost everything has changed, other than the fact that all products are still purchased from Pepsi. According to Assistant Principal Lani Nobles, the drinks that are sold at TJ pop dispensers must meet the following guidelines:
•First and foremost, half the drinks sold have to be water.
•Other carbonated drinks must be low calorie beverages with no more than 10 calories per 8-ounce serving.
•Light juice, juice and sport drinks in 12 ounce serving with 100% juice are allowed but must be less than 120 calories per 8 ounces with at least 10% of the recommended daily values for at least three micro-nutrients.
•Light juices and sports drinks with no more than 66 calories per 8 ounce servings are permitted.
The drinks that match those descriptions are as follows: diet sodas, unsweetened tea, low calorie sports drinks, fitness water, flavored waters, and seltzers.
But the bottom line is: no Mountain Dew, no Pepsi, and no Dr. Pepper.
Stay tuned to the Jefferson Journal for further reports on student, teacher, and community response to the switch to sugar-free beverages.
