posted by Zach Patton
When I was growing up, bake sales were a fact of life for school, sports teams, academic clubs, whatever.
There was even one especially memorable bake sale in high school, when I served as co-chair of the cafeteria committee (yeah, I said it -- and I was proud of it. I got those kids a pizza cart, a jukebox, and outdoor patio seating), and the cafeteria ladies allowed us to use their wholesale ingredients (which, given that it was a public school, may have been just a little bit illegal, now that I think about it) to make breads and cakes and what have you, and we sold them in front of the Wal-Mart and made several hundred dollars in just a few hours, and we donated it all to a shelter for abused women and children.
Anywho...
Right, bake sales. Big deal.
But not in California, not anymore. State regulations now strictly limit what foods can be sold to students. And the hallowed bake sale -- and its verboten, obesity-inducing carbs -- is falling out of favor:
The old-fashioned school bake sale, once as American as apple pie, is fast becoming obsolete in California, a result of strict new state nutrition standards for public schools that regulate the types of food that can be sold to students. The guidelines were passed by lawmakers in 2005 and took effect in July 2007. They require that snacks sold during the school day contain no more than 35 percent sugar by weight and derive no more than 35 percent of their calories from fat and no more than 10 percent of their calories from saturated fat.
School clubs are could still sell to non-students off campus. But they're being hit hard.
Maybe they should start having a broccoli sale?
(Photo via Flickr from verybestof11)
Zach Patton -- Executive Editor. Zach has written about a range of topics, including social policy issues and urban planning and design. Originally from Tennessee, he joined GOVERNING as a staff writer in 2004. He received the 2011 Jesse H. Neal Award for Outstanding Journalism
E-mail: zpatton@governing.com 
Written and compiled by staff writers and editors, GOVERNING View is an on-the-ground, and sometimes behind-the-scenes, look at the topics we're covering in print and online. From notes on what's up in statehouses, county courthouses and city halls, to encounters with people, places and things, GOVERNING View is a window into the side of state and local government you don't always see.
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