Fewer Fries, More Fresh Veggies in School Lunches, Says the USDA

Last month, Change.org brought you news that President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act into law. The legislation reforms school lunch, and it came as the result of serious campaigning from public health advocates and sustainable foodies. Thousands of Change.org members petitioned Congress to approve the school lunch reform bill before lawmakers finally voted on the legislation. Now the fruits — and vegetables — of our labor are finally starting to take root.

Part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act required the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to re-evaluate and update its nutritional standards for school lunches and breakfasts. With some school cafeterias serving french fries with every meal and calling it a vegetable and students chowing down on plate-fulls of processed chicken nuggets, it's clear those standards were in desperate need of a face lift. The USDA released its updated requirements today. These standards represent the first time the USDA has boosted its nutritional requirements for school lunches in the past 15 years. They're a far cry from the greasy pizza and tater tots that kids currently dine on.

According to USA Today, overall the USDA's new requirements mandate fewer calories and sodium and more fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Read on for the specifics of how school lunches and breakfasts will improve over the coming months.

• Servings of starches— like potatoes and corn — will be reduced to one cup per week. Instead, schools must offer one serving of fruit at breakfast and two servings of veggies at lunch. Throughout the week, these veggies must be a mix of leafy greens, orange veggies, beans, starches, and more.
• For the first time ever, meals must not exceed a certain number of calories. Meals can contain 750 to 850 calories in high school cafeterias, 600 to 700 calories in middle school lunch rooms, and 550 to 650 calories in elementary schools.
• Sodium levels will get the axe throughout all schools. For example, the current maximum amount of sodium allowed in a high school cafeteria meal is 1,600 milligrams. That figure must drop to 740 milligrams or fewer over the next decade.
• Cafeterias can only serve unflavored milk or fat-free flavored milk. Right now, there are no stipulations on the kinds of milks schools can offer.
• Half of grains served must be whole-grains. No more plate-fulls of Wonder bread and white rice with a side of hot dog rolls.

These changes will undoubtedly result in healthier lunches and breakfasts designed to combat America's childhood obesity epidemic. What they don't do, however, is outline stronger sustainability initiatives. I would have loved to see requirements for sourcing a certain percentage of a school's produce locally from nearby farms. Phasing in more organics could have boosted kids' health, as pesticides have been linked to a host of health problems from cancers to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) to reproductive problems.

Still, these new requirements are a big step in the right direction. More than one-third of America's kids weigh in as overweight or obese, and most children consume 30 to 50 percent of their calories while at school. There's no reason these calories need to continue to come from salty nachos and soggy french fries.

Photo credit: firepile via Flickr