USDA Proposing to Raise Nutrion Standards of School Meals
For the first time in 15 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is proposing to raise nutrition standards in school lunches. Agriculture Secretary Tom Visilak remarks that this much-needed and dramatic change "reflects the seriousness of the issue of obesity."
Reprised from: www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition/2011-01-12-schoollunch13_ST_N.htm

Around two thirds of American children and adolescents are obese or overweight, putting them at a greater risk for developing diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other serious health problems. Obesity is one reason, a 2005 study claims, that children today may lead shorter lives than their parents.
The proposal outlines the following changes to school meals:
- Decreasing the amount of starchy vegetables (i.e. potatoes, corn, and green beans) to one cup a week
- Reducing the amount of sodium per meal from 1,600 milligrams presently to 740 milligrams over a 10 year period
- Establishing a calorie minimum and maximum per meal
- Serving only 1% or fat-free unflavored milk and only fat-free flavored milk
- Increasing the amount and variety of available fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
- Keeping trans fats to a minimum
These new meal standards are a part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 that was signed into law by President Obama on December 13, 2010. Creating a healthier school nutrition environment teaches children good eating habits that can affect them for the rest of their lives. The challenge will be for school food-service personnel to make the appropriate adjustments and to combat the rising costs associated with the new regulations, a requirement they must meet in order to get government reimbursements on school meals.
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