What's Going On with School Lunch Reform?

This is the first installment of a three-part series on school lunch called "Turning the Tables." Check back for more stories on childhood nutrition, healthy meals, and school lunch reform.

It's been nearly four months since President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act — the school lunch reform bill — into law. Parents applauded, public health experts breathed a sigh of relief, and Change.org members put on their victory party hats. But since December, not a whole lot has been said about how, exactly, this reform is progressing. Like many folks concerned about the health of the nation's school children, you're probably wondering: "What's going on with school lunch?"

Despite the dearth of reporting on the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, there's actually quite a lot happening right now with school lunch improvements. Back in January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released recommended nutrition guidelines in line with those established by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). School cafeterias must meet USDA-established guidelines in order to receive federal reimbursements for school meals. While the new guidelines call for less sodium and fat and more fruits and veggies, the USDA won't establish official new guidelines until after the public comment period. You have until April 13th to support the USDA's improved nutrition guidelines.

These beefed-up standards are certainly long overdue — the USDA's nutritional standards for school meals haven't been updated in more than 15 years, and with students getting about half their total calories from cafeteria meals, it's imperative that these dishes be as healthy as they can be. About one in three kids and teens — 23 million youngsters — weigh in as obese or overweight. Healthy-ing up school vittles is one major way America can trim students' waistlines.

The new standards up the recommended lunchtime produce content from one cup of vegetables to one cup of veggies and one cup of fruit. They also specify that cafeterias must provide a mix of dark green and orange veggies and legumes and limit students' intake of starchy vegetables. The proposed guidelines also outlines requirements for whole grains, low-fat or fat-free dairy, and a limit on the amount of calories, fat, and sodium meals can contain.

The Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project is one campaign that aims to make sure the USDA's and IOM's recommended guidelines go into effect. If you want America's children to chow down on healthy lunches, submit a comment on the proposed nutrition guidelines. You can also sign the Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project asking the USDA to adopt science-based, healthy, nutrition guidelines for school lunches and breakfasts.

Photo credit: shannonpatrick17 via Flickr