In the first update in more than 15 years, new, healthier standards have been released for the breakfasts and lunches provided by schools to millions of students. The new, updated nutrition standards, released on January 25, 2012 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, set limits for fat and sodium and are designed to 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. The new standards will phase in beginning in the 2012-13 school year.
Higher nutrition standards at school support efforts of parents at home
First Lady Michelle Obama, who championed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act as part of her Let’s Move! Campaign, indicated, "As parents, we try to prepare decent meals, limit how much junk food our kids eat, and ensure they have a reasonably balanced diet. And when we're putting in all that effort the last thing we want is for our hard work to be undone each day in the school cafeteria. When we send our kids to school, we expect that they won't be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods that we try to keep them from eating at home. We want the food they get at school to be the same kind of food we would serve at our own kitchen tables."
A national effort for a healthier future
US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack joined his voice to the First Lady’s urgency in stating, "Improving the quality of the school meals is a critical step in building a healthy future for our kids. When it comes to our children, we must do everything possible to provide them the nutrition they need to be healthy, active and ready to face the future – today we take an important step towards that goal."
Health, modern adaptations
The final standards make the same kinds of practical changes that many parents are already encouraging at home, including:
- Ensuring students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week;
- Substantially increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods;
- Offering only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties;
- Limiting calories based on the age of children being served to ensure proper portion size; and
- Increasing the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat, trans fats and sodium.
Compare then and now
The improvements are substantial. Compare for yourself. A sample lunch menu with a before and after comparison is available to view and download in PDF and JPG formats.
Standards built upon research-based, scientific evidence
The U.S. Department of Agriculturebuilt the new rules around recommendations from a panel of experts convened by the Institute of Medicine —a gold standard for evidence-based health analysis. The standards were also updated with key changes from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans – the Federal government's benchmark for nutrition – and aimed to foster the kind of healthy changes at school that many parents are already trying to encourage at home, such as making sure that kids are offered both fruits and vegetables each day, more whole grains, and portion sizes and calorie counts designed to maintain a healthy weight.
Implementation starts in 2012-2013 School Year
Although the sooner the better, the practical reality is regulations and standards stake time to implement. The final nutrition standards provide time for schools to implement key changes, which will be largely phased in over a three-year period. These regulations announced at the beginning of 2012 will start in School Year 2012-2013 and phase in. For example, schools will be permitted to focus on changes in the lunches in the first year, with most changes in breakfast phased in during future years.
New, improved standards matter
The standards will make a significant difference in the federal nutrition safety net as well as serve as foundational guideposts for a local, state, and national commitments to sound nutrition for all children. The USDA's Food and Nutrition Service administers 15 nutrition assistance programs including the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, the Summer Food Service Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
Ripples into the future
The success of our nation tomorrow is built upon choices made for our children today. The process of national success stands upon building blocks of sound nutrition, a rigorous education, and fair opportunity for all our learners. Each block of the puzzle is related, and 2012 will be remembered for the institution of new, healthier nutrition standards for all our 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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