32 Million Reasons to Cheer the USDA

There are 32 million reasons why the USDA's new school meal standards are good news. That's the number of children who participate in the National School Breakfast and Lunch programs in the U.S. and who will soon be served far more nutritious, and hopefully delicious school meals.

Announced by First Lady Michelle Obama, who was instrumental in getting the new rules written by ensuring that the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act passed in 2010, the updated meal standards are a huge improvement, in spite of last minute meddling by Congress. The standards are based on 2009 Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommendations and they include:

• Doubling the amount of fruits and vegetables offered;
• Increasing the variety of vegetables served to include dark greens, red/orange and legumes;
• Increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods -- half the grains must be whole grain-rich by July and all must be whole grain-rich by start of the school year in 2014;
• Offering only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties (flavored must be fat free);
• Limiting calories based on the age of children being served, to ensure proper portion size; and
• Reducing the amounts of saturated fat, trans fats and sodium.

The total cost of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act will be $3.2 billion over five years (down from $6.8 billion in the USDA's proposed rule). Since it does cost more to serve healthier meals, the increased costs have been covered by program changes and funding provisions such as:

• Eliminating the meat/meat substitute requirement at breakfast;
• Lengthening the timeline for adding fruit to breakfast;
• Providing an additional 6 cent federal reimbursement per meal for lunches that meet the new standards;
• Ensuring that a la carte offerings are no longer subsidized by school meals (in some schools, this means that a la carte food prices will rise); and
• Allowing students to opt for smaller servings of fruits and vegetables to help eliminate "plate waste."

Margo Wootan, Director, Nutrition Policy for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, who has led the fight to improve school food over the past decade, was happy with the final standards. "These are the first ever school meal standards for whole grains, trans fat and sodium," said Wootan. "The only disappointments I have are the ones Congress forced on the USDA -- continuing to count pizza as a vegetable and allowing French fries to be served every day."

So what does this all mean for America's children?

As a long time school food reformer who has watched countless children consume high calorie, low-nutrition school meals that I wouldn't serve to my dog, I believe that this is a giant step forward. Just the fact that every student who purchases a school lunch will soon have to take a fruit and/or vegetable as a component of their meal is revolutionary. And in one fell swoop, the USDA has eliminated full fat and 2% milk from school meals -- high fat beverages that our increasingly overweight children don't need. The USDA has provided a sample before and after elementary school menu.

Next on the horizon, thanks to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, is the USDA proposed rule for school a la carte or competitive foods, scheduled to be released in the next few months. If Congress doesn't meddle again and the USDA proposes science-based standards for these foods sold outside the meal programs, our nation's schools could become places where mostly healthy choices reign. What a refreshing thought -- that our schools could actually model the nutrition habits that our government recommends in the Dietary Guidelines -- rather than continually contradicting them and undermining parents.

But a la carte/competitive foods like sugary drinks, chips, ice cream and candy are big business for Big Food and Beverage. So expect more deep-pocketed lobbying of Congress by their friends in the food industry in an attempt to maintain the status quo (e.g., their profits) at the expense of our children's health.

 

Follow Nancy Huehnergarth on Twitter: www.twitter.com/nyshepa

Comments

[Michele Jacobson]

08:40 AM on 02/01/2012

What a concise and straight to the point take on these reforms! Why do America's children have to wait until 2014 until their meals are improved, though? If my kids were eating unhealthy food, it would be gone by tomorrow. Wholesome foods in schools, coupled with an education in the benefits of good nutrition, will ensure that our kids are at least on the path to better health than their parents had. Part two should be healthy snack food in America's kitchens for after school, such as nuts and fruits. Have it on the counter and that's what the kids will go for. If the "bad" stuff isn't there, they can't eat it. Parents have to lead by example. Kids will be kids and we can't always control what they do when we aren't with them at the mall, for example, but if we can control what's in our homes and in the schools then, hopefully, the proverbial seed is planted.

Michele Jacobson, Certified Clinical Nutritionist
www.justbecauseyoureanamerican.com

[The Complainer]

12:15 AM on 02/01/2012

For lower income children, any school reduction in protein, which is generally much more expensive—and, therefore, less likely to be served at home—could be detrimental to their overall nutrition and health. Moreover, high-protein/low carbohydrate diets tend to be more much more effective, in large part because protein tends to improve satiation, while carbohydrates often create a craving for more carbohydrates.

With over 17 million American children, or roughly 22%, living in "in food-insecure households," we cannot afford to cut back on what may be their only consistent form of protein.

Perhaps, we can look at other ways to reduce the percentage of obese children through other means, including: an expansion of K-12 extracurricular sports, daily physical education/sports training, and increased access to protein for low-income kids.

http://www.thecomplainer.org

[JessicaBell22]

04:45 PM on 01/30/2012

There should be more vegetarian entrees offered in the "after section." Protein from nuts and beans is much more healthy than meat. If meat is included, it should be as a side dish not as the main dish.

[Rami Najjar]

02:07 PM on 01/27/2012

Improving the diets of our kids might actually help prevent premature puberty: http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/protein-puberty/

[trekie70]

09:47 AM on 01/27/2012

I'm glad to see these new stds. I remember the meals from my time in school and they could not have been considered "healthy" at all.

[Lesli Terrell-Payne]

12:36 AM on 01/27/2012

At my children's school, the "lunch ladies" don't dish out the food--the children serve themselves. How will schools be expected to enforce the rule that every plate must have a fruit or veggie item?

[cafelady]

03:17 PM on 01/27/2012

Parents may need to volunteer. I predict cash strapped food services will lay off employees and go to prepacked fruit and veg items the students cha pick up on their own.