Child Nutrition Law’s First Steps

Posted by Jason Rano in Food on January 13, 2011 | 7 responses

by Jason Rano, Environmental Working Group Senior Legislative Analyst.

In mid-December, as millions of American school children were eagerly anticipating their holiday break of sleeping late and no homework, President Obama signed into law the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. Now, just a month later, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has taken its first steps under the law to improve the nutritional content of the school lunches eaten every day by about 32 million children, and the breakfasts served to nearly 11 million.

Though not perfect (very few bills are after they go through the legislative process), the new law does expand and improve school meal programs and confronts head-on the unprecedented obesity rates and related health problems of America’s kids.

Today (Jan. 13), USDA announced a rule that for the first time establishes calorie maximums and minimums for school-served meals. It will also reduce sodium in meals, increase the amount of fruits, vegetables and whole-grain foods offered and require that only 1 percent or fat-free milk be served.

The rule is certainly not a panacea.  It doesn’t cover vending machines, which will be dealt with at a later date.  But it is an excellent first step to help our children eat healthier, live healthier and have more energy to learn.

  • rebecca

    Children will not drimk 1% of fat free milk and it is not as nutrious and 2%. School ood does not make kids fat it is what they and the rest of there familt eat @ home.just more government control

  • wendy

    Yuck…1% milk? I think whole milk is best for children. We don’t need to remove ALL fat content from school meals, as rebecca says…children are what they eat at home. However, I love that they are increasing the nutritional value of the food, as I wouldn’t feed my dog what they feed our children in school.

  • tim

    First of all, this doesn’t completely eliminate fat from the school menu. It encourages intake of good fats in the mix while reducing the possibility that bad fats are over-consumed on the school administered diet. It ensures that a healthy balance of nutrients essential to growing bodies is consumed, at least at the school, even though there is a significant likelihood that they will go home and get all the bad stuff. It is correct to acknowledge that intake of bad food and beverage cannot be completely regulated, although for our kids sake it should be, only if it could be regulated by people who are committed to nutrition and health instead of profit and control, like Monsanto and the FDA who are on a path to completely controlling the worlds food supply… and promote depopulation. This bill is a very good, yet very small first step. We all have a long way to go, so never discourage progress towards anything that will help our kids. Otherwise they may live fewer years than we are expected to and suffer health problems through all of it.

  • Nicole

    I applaud efforts to increase the nutritional value of nutrients in school lunches. However, evidence does not support the idea that lower calorie foods are the cause of obesity. Many studies seem to show that it is a combination of certain fats (hydrogenated oils) and fake sugars (HFCS, etc. all created by the kind of companies Tim mentions. I have read every single ingredient in every single lunch item offered at my childrens’ school. Of the myriad items, only the penne with tomato sauce did not have either a fake sugar or hydrogenated oil in it! Then I found out that the acidic tomato sauce meal is nuked in plastic! All research shows that plastic leaks into heated food, especially if it is acidic. Now I will not allow my children to eat anything on the school lunch menu. This includes the milk, since I consider whole, organic milk the only kind of milk that can be digested properly. Finally, children need good fat for a healthy brain. I feel that much of this legislation is based on false ideas about nutrition.

  • Nutrition Professional

    Actually, 1% & fat free milk is both healthy and nutritious for kids. You get the same amount of vitamins & minerals in all milk (skim, 1%, 2% and whole) it is just the calories and fat content that varies from product to product. Children should drink whole milk until age 2, at which time they should be switched to low fat and ultimately nonfat milk.
    Another great feature of the new proposed regulations is the sodium restriction.
    I agree with Tim…a small first step but one that makes sense and is moving in the right direction.

  • Mary B.

    I agree with Tim and also Rebecca,
    I’m all for kids eating healthier, but you cannot force them to eat! Kids need more exercise at school and home and guess what – that’s FREE !!! America does not need more legislation and government control. It is very suspicious that the likes of Monsanto are trying to control the worlds food supplies. And they can do just that with the blessings of our good ole government!

  • Director of Nutritional Programs

    Read the China Study by Colin Campbell. It is a myth that we need to get our calcium and protein form milk. Milk is both acid forming and mucosa forming to the body. Anyone with allergies or asthmatic issues should avoid dairy. we are mislead by big business dairy and beef farming to think that the only form of calcium comes from milk. It does not. Protein and calcium comes from veggies and fruits, almond and hemp milk, whole grains, beans, etc. Milk is laden with junk! Hormones, pesticides. Unless Organic it should NEVER be consumed. Get your facts strait people, give it up! Read the China Study!