This is a story for anyone with children in school, anyone who knows someone with children in school or anyone who cares about the health of America’s kids.
The Trump administration announced it was relaxing the rules on school nutrition. From The Daily Mail:
President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday relaxed rules championed by former first lady Michelle Obama aimed at making U.S. school lunches healthier, a move that will affect institutions that feed 30 million children annually.
Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, delivering on a promise he made when he took office in May 2017, said schools under the current rules faced challenges serving meals that were both appetizing and nutritious.
“If kids are not eating what is being served, they are not benefiting, and food is being wasted,” Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement this week.
The move was immediately blasted by critics. The American Heart Association urged schools to stay the course.
“USDA’s decision to weaken the standards – despite overwhelming opposition – threatens to reverse our progress toward ensuring our nation’s children receive healthy meals at school that help them attain better long-term health and academic success. ” – Statement from The American Heart Association
From The Washington Post:
The Obama administration set rules that sought to make school lunches more healthful with exclusively whole-grain pastas and breads, and with nonfat white milk and less salt. It was reacting to an epidemic of obesity in the United States as well as evidence that excessive salt intake is linked to high blood pressure and other health concerns, and that whole grains are more healthful than refined grains.
Now refined grains will be allowed again, as will chocolate milk. From NPR;
“The rule will give administrators more leeway in serving up white breads, biscuits, tortillas and white pastas by requiring that only half of the grains served in school meals each week be whole-grain rich. Currently schools are only allowed to serve whole grain-rich breads and pastas unless they get a waiver. In addition, the administration is putting the brakes on the targets developed during the Obama administration to cut back on sodium.”
The School Nutrition Association likes the proposed changes because fewer kids were eating the healthier food. It should be noted that the SNA is heavily funded by food conglomerates.
But something needs to be done. The Centers for Disease Control says the number of children affected by obesity has more than tripled since the 1970’s. Today one in five children in the United States is considered obese.