Parents are annoyed and kids are whining.

The Ice Cream Guys are waiting for us, like every weekday, at the exit from school.

Some parents buy the ice cream for their kids on a regular basis, no questions asked. Other kids get it after whining and wearing down their parents into submission. My kid has never had one – I bring fresh fruit or a cold coconut water drink because I know he’ll be hungry.

I have a plan to inspire the families to say no to the ice cream guys and yes to real, healthy food.

Will You Donate $1-$5? 

Help me give the kids of PS 295 a free organic fruit snack after school for our Cardio Carnival on Friday, May 18^th, in honor of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Day.

I see the challenges parents and schools with healthy intentions. Our “food environment” is plagued with commercials aimed at kids to support the idea that junk food is cool.

Most school budgets allows for $.97 a day per kid for food, so of course schools rely on subsidized junk food from the USDA, a lot of which is the infamous “pink slime” meat, hormone-filled dairy, and few fresh fruit and veggie options.

Since Super Size Me hit theaters in 2003, my awareness of the obesity epidemic has shifted from “fast food is the bad guy” to “advertising to kids is evil” and back again.

Now I see the challenge is much bigger and more complicated. Yes, I believe we should ban certain advertising messages to children.

Québec banned print and broadcast ads aimed at kids under thirteen, and Sweden banned ads aimed at children under 12.

According to Consumer Reports magazine, “young children have difficulty distinguishing between advertising and reality in ads, and ads can distort their view of the world.”

US public schools should also get more money so they can serve healthy meals to kids that provide real nutrition, not just enough calories.

I said as much in the new documentary Lunch Hour, which just received the special jury prize at the Palm Beach International Film Festival (watch the preview here).

But there’s more to be done.

I joined the Wellness Committee at my son’s public school here in Brooklyn, and we’re putting on a Cardio Carnival this month.

Families will enjoy a free night of games and have a night of energized fun, while we provide a “Burrito Bar” for dinner, instead of the regular pizza treats.

We have some money from a city grant for this event, but I want to make the impact bigger – not just showing families that they can have a fun night of fitness and healthy, yummy food…

That we can also make better choices with our kids for their snacks and after school treats.

Will you donate $1 to $5 to my Cardio Carnival Campaign?

The money will go directly to providing organic fruit snacks to NYC public school children.