More Healthful Choices for School Meals
Jan. 26, 2012
Public school students will see more healthful choices on breakfast and lunch menus as they move through the cafeteria line starting in fall 2012. On January 25, the United States Department of Agriculture issued the first new standards for school lunches in 15 years. Under the standards, schools must offer fruits and vegetables every day and increase the amount of whole-grain foods served. Schools must also reduce sodium and fat in their meals and serve only nonfat or low-fat milk. In addition, the standards establish calorie maximums and minimums to help with portion control. The new standards, which will affect some 32 million students, are to be phased in over three years.
The new standards are part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act signed by President Barack Obama in 2011. The law aims to improve child nutrition and reduce childhood obesity. About 17 percent of U.S. children and teenagers are obese, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Many schools have already begun to implement the new standards. The law also provides additional funding for school districts to help with the cost of preparing the more nutritious lunches.
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