Healthy Kids & Healthy Lunches

In January 2011, the USDA proposed a few healthy requirements to be implemented in school lunches.  This month, Congress denied all legislation, due to “financial concerns” and “lack of data on potential health benefits.”  In their spending bill for the National School Lunch Program, Congress delayed or stopped all major suggestions, including the following:

• Allow vegetables such as corn, peas, and potatoes only twice per week  in an effort to reduce French fry consumption and increase vegetable variety;
• Require a minimum of green and orange vegetables to be served each week;
• Change the amount of tomato paste that counts as a vegetable serving. (Currently, two tablespoons of tomato paste (normally served on pizza) can count as a vegetable serving.  The USDA wanted the total to be set at half-cup.);
• Limit sodium;
• Make all grains and breads whole grain, instead of refined grains;
• Set a maximum calorie allowance for meals; and
• Install more targets for low-fat dairy content.

  Today, 1/3 of American children are overweight or obese.  These USDA proposals aimed to reshape our younger generation’s view of a healthy diet.  Studies show that students receive 40% of their calories and up to half of their daily sodium allowance through school lunches.   How can parents keep their children healthy if students are given free reign at school?  Recent articles claim that eating healthy is more expensive than a diet full of processed, high-fat, sugary foods.  If this is true and parents can’t provide nutritious meals at home, wouldn’t they want a guaranteed nutritious lunch for their kids?

On the other hand, many schools and politicians claim the government doesn’t have the right to restrict what school lunches serve.  Some think that Congress would rather follow the recommendations of frozen pizza makers, food manufacturers, and potato growers instead of nutrition child advocates and experts.  

        Can’t there be a middle ground of schools providing better, nutritious meals while allowing fun, healthier kid-friendly options?  Hopefully in the not-so-distant future, our government will have the financial means and consistent evidence to put the USDA’s proposals into action.  Excellent eating habits begin in our school-age years, through examples set at home and in schools.