The Federal Trade Commission last week released recommended guidelines for marketing food to kids. These guidelines will be open for public comment and soon sent to Congress for consideration. What do you think? Should foods marketed to children have healthiness standards? Does this mean no more Cap'n Crunch mascots? More

Recently, one of the leading debates in food policy pertains to the impact that food advertising has on young children. A recent study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University demonstrated that children are more likely to desire foods that are advertised with familiar cartoon characters—but these foods are often less healthy than alternatives. McDonald's has come under fire for using similar advertising techniques in their Happy Meals, which experts say are often far too caloric and fattening for small children. So how can change be implemented? More

Though it's been quite a while since my last Happy Meal, McDonald's still uses this promotional mechanism to advertise new movies, TV shows, or brands to millions of eager young eyes across the country. But the Center for Science in the Public Interest is not buying it. In light of heightened and serious concerns about national childhood obesity levels, the CSPI has said that they will sue the mega-corporation if it does not stop using toys as a marketing tool targeting young consumers. More

"Even the last scene takes place in a grocery store aisle where juice boxes play a key role." The cover of the Fantastic Mr. Fox soundtrack. [Image: Amazon] Over the weekend I saw Fantastic Mr. Fox, the stop-motion animation by Wes Anderson based on the kiddie-lit classic by Roald Dahl. While the book has some simple pencil sketches by Quentin Blake, the film is filled with lavish food scenes that may actually make you hungry, even if the cakes and roasted meats are made of clay. Without giving too much away, the story's whole premise revolves around Mr. Fox 's obsessive mission to steal from three bad guy farmers—Boggis, Bunce and Bean—each of whom fixates on a single type of... More

[Image: weloveyouso.com] In anticipation of the new Spike Jonze adaptation of the kids' lit classic Where the Wild Things Are, 29-year-old Brazilian artist Vanessa Dualib recreated the book's cover with kiwi, mango, anise, and, yes, that would be mozzarella for Max's wolf suit. Dualib is a very accomplished player-with-food. You can check out her other artwork, including an eggplant orca whale and prosciutto teepees, in her Flickr album ρLªYinG ωiTh mŸ fOoD. Related In Videos: Trailer for 'Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs' Serious Eats Gift Guide: Books For Young Foodies Meatastic Children's Book Illustration... More

[Photograph ©iStockphoto.com/apomares] School lunch in the district where I attended K-12 was, frankly, disgusting. I was lucky enough to come from a home where there was enough money and time for me to have a home-packed lunch every day. There were plenty of kids who loved the square sausage pizza and hermetically sealed PBJs, but I'm sure there were also plenty who would have gladly eaten something else had they not been on the free-lunch program. Now, it's pretty clear that no matter if my classmates liked it or not, they shouldn't have been eating the food the school was dishing up. Schools send a message to children with the foods that are served. The additives, preservatives, and sugar... More

President Barack Obama has proposed a $1-billion increase for the Child Nutrition Act, which lawmakers will consider this fall, according to the Los Angeles Times. The bill would allow the Department of Agriculture to update decades-old standards for vending machines, as well as the typical pizza and French fries sold in cafeterias.... More

Photo from GadgetDude on FlickrNot because they're choking hazards, and not because they're a commercial gimmick—one official wants to stop fast-food toys because they're making kids fat. Concerned about rising rates of childhood obesity in his country, Brazilian federal prosecutor Marcio Schusterschitz petitioned a judge to ban fast-food outlets from giving away toys with kids' meals. As Reuters reports, he contends that including these toys gives kids extra incentive to eat unhealthy food: "It is necessary to remove toys that are used to leverage the sale of food that has little nutritional value," his official statement reads. What do you think? Do kids' meal toys train children to prefer junk food? Or are they just a harmless bit of extra... More

Photograph from gordmckenna on Flickr Breaking with the tradition of signs reading "Warning: Unattended Children Will Be Sold to the Circus" or "Given a Cappuccino and a Free Puppy," we see a sign that implies a profit on the finder of any lost children. Because, while you may get money from selling a child to the circus, money is no match for a few good doughnuts. [via Unique Daily] Note: Serious Eats does not condone black market trades of children for doughnuts. Or any black market trade, for that matter. Related Grammatically Correct Signs at Trader Joe's Photo of the Day: Open Signs Retro Restaurant Signs... More

There's probably someone in your life who isn't old enough to benefit from new knives or an espresso machine. Make sure the little ones have delicious dreams after bedtime stories with these food-inspired childrens' books. They range from the classic (Stone Soup, Strega Nona, and The Carrot Seed) to the more recent (A Little Pea, Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog, and The Donut Chef). More