Victory! House Passes School Lunch Reform Bill

Wave goodbye to processed chicken nuggets, soggy french fries, and sugary drinks in cafeterias. School lunches are about to get a much-needed overhaul.

In a big win yesterday for sustainable foodies and public health advocates, the House passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, the school lunch reform bill. The only thing left is for President Obama to sign this bill into law, which the president has already committed to do.

The move comes after major non-profits, public-health advocates, notable foodies, government officials, parents, and educators pushed Congress to reauthorize the child nutrition bill, which lawmakers have been dragging their heels on for months. More than 1,000 Change.org members signed the Food Research and Action Center's (FRAC) petition asking Congress to approve school lunch reform without slashing any future funds for food stamps. Change.org members and a host of other activists got their wish — almost.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act calls for a $2.2 billion slash in future funds to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps. With the number of food stamp recipients currently at record highs, many folks were understandably opposed to these cuts, saying that they unfairly robbed Peter to feed Paul. While the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act still contains these budget reductions, President Obama and Congressional leaders have committed to fix the SNAP cut. "FRAC has maintained that passage of a good child nutrition bill and restoration of the SNAP cuts are both essential and that both can be achieved in the lame duck session," the non-profit said in a press release. "With the first goal accomplished, we look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to achieve swiftly the second of these two goals so that the nation can advance in the fight to end hunger and reduce obesity in the U.S."

School lunch reform promises to make a number of changes that better the quality of and kids' access to meals. For one, the bill expands the Afterschool Meal Program and allows more children to receive free- and reduced-cost lunches. Meals' nutritional quality will be greatly improved. Plus, the bill mandates that the U.S. Department of Agriculture update its standards on what can be sold in vending machines and in other school areas, setting the stage to eliminate sugar-y sodas and other junk foods.

We've got a long way to go to reduce childhood obesity in America and make kids healthier, but school lunch reform is an encouraging step in the right direction. Kudos to the thousands of organizations and activists that worked tirelessly to turn this bill into a law.

Photo credit: DOliphant via Flickr