National leadership in children’s health and education applauded newly announced, healthier nutrition standards for school meals supplied to millions of the nation’s learners. Updated nutrition standards, released on January 25, 2012 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, set limits on fat and sodium. Additionally, the new standards ensure school meals are healthier with inclusion of more fruits and vegetables, more whole-grain breads and pasta, and more low-and non-fat milk.
National leadership weighs in on passage of new standards
The high ground, the only right ground, is that America’s children must not go hungry, that America’s children must be healthy. Achieving and maintaining that goal requires an on-going, multifaceted process. National leadership welcomed a strong step in the goal of achieving a healthy nation, protective of the vital resource of its children.
Pew Charitable Trusts
Director of the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Kid's Safe and Healthful Foods Project, Jessica Donze Black, indicated, “We applaud the U.S. Department of Agriculture for issuing final guidance to help schools across the country serve healthier meals to students. This means children will see more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains on their cafeteria trays. Meals also will include more low-fat and nonfat dairy products, and less fat and sodium, and calorie levels will be appropriate for different age groups. Not only are these changes good for students, but they also give parents more assurance that schools support their efforts to provide healthy foods to their kids.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, the President and CEO of New Jersey-based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, stated, “By adopting science-based nutrition advice, these guidelines contribute to the goal of reversing the childhood obesity epidemic while ensuring that our most vulnerable children get the foods and beverages they need to grow up strong and healthy. These new standards will pave the way for a healthier future for millions of children—especially those most in need.”
American Academy of Pediatrics
Robert W. Block, MD FAAP, who is President of the American Academy of Pediatrics indicated, "The American Academy of Pediatrics would like to commend First Lady Michelle Obama and the USDA for their commitment to improving children's health through better nutrition as a result of these new standards. The finalized school meal standards are the strongest to date, and provide more fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and overall healthier meals for our children."
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association weighed in through CEO Nancy Brown stating,"Learning to make nutritious food choices at an early age is an important lesson for America's children. We strongly believe these new standards for school meals will help the nation's youth develop healthy food habits that will help lower obesity rates and ensure that the next generation can lead lives free of heart disease and stroke."
National Education Association
Dennis Van Roekel, who is President of the 3.2 million-member National Education Association, stated, "I applaud the new and improved nutrition standards resulting from the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act . . . that are vital to a healthy lifestyle . . . and work on this most critical issue." In support of further Obama administration efforts on behalf of educational issues, Dennis Van Roekel, indicated the President “understands that investing in education now and opening opportunities to all students are fundamental to the long-term economic well-being of our children and our nation.”
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Margo G. Wootan, who is Director of Nutrition Policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, declared,"The new school meal standards are one of the most important advancements in nutrition in decades. Now, states, school officials, food manufacturers, food service workers, and parents need to work together with USDA to help all schools meet the new standards."
National Association of School Nurses
Linda Davis-Alldritt, who is President of the National Association of School Nurses, indicated,"Nutritious lunches eaten at school not only help the children in their academic performance, but also ensure that students have the energy to perform in physical education classes . . . helping turn the tide on obesity among school-aged children."
Vicki Escarra, the President & CEO of Feeding America, commented that the announcement of the new standards was “especially important for low-income children, whose families are more likely to struggle to access both enough food and the most nutritious food. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act brought us a big step closer to ensuring that children have the nutrition they need to learn, grow, and thrive both in and out of school and increases their opportunity to reach their highest potential."
Learn more
Learn more about this first update to nutrition standards released on January 25, 2012 by the US Department of Agriculture in another article, “New higher standards for healthier school meals to start in 2012-13 school year,” by this writer. A link is supplied below this article.
Read a PDF of the Federal Register Preview of Final Rule: Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs as well as the Final Summary of Public Comments on the new, nutrition standards in PDF format.
Also, compare for yourself. A sample lunch menu with a before and after comparison is available to view and download in PDF and JPG formats.
A continuing, national issue
In her on-going support of the new nutrition standards, schools, and parents, First Lady Michelle Obama, who championed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act as part of her Let’s Move! Campaign, indicated, "As parents, we . . . limit how much junk food our kids eat, and ensure they have a reasonably balanced diet . . . We want the food they get at school to be the same kind of food we would serve at our own kitchen tables." At the time of the signing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, Michelle Obama stated, "Child hunger and child obesity are really just two sides of the same coin. Both rob our children of the energy, the strength and the stamina they need to succeed in school and in life. And that, in turn, robs our country of so much of their promise."
Strong leadership response
Modernized nutrition standards for school meals and the active support of critical national leadership comes at a critical time for education, children’s health, and our nation’s future. Research shows that nearly one in three American adolescents is overweight or obese. Attention to childhood nutrition and health is a paramount building block for America’s future. The important, coordinated interaction of leadership across the nation reflects powerful recognition of the critical role of a healthy learning and living environment for the nation’s children.
Find the take in this article to be helpful? The writer is a former US National Technology and Learning Teacher of the Year, a former US Web-based Education Commissioner during the Clinton administration, and former Vice President of Global Knowledge Exchange, now writing on National Education issues. To keep current on similar articles, view the suggested links below and click the free, “subscribe to get instant updates” link at the top of this article to get a conveniently customized news delivery.
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