New standards announced for school meals
School lunches are about to get much healthier.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and First Lady Michelle Obama announced new government nutrition standards for school lunches today.
Vilsack and Obama unveiled the changes at Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, VA.
Obama explained, “As parents, we try to prepare decent meals, limit how much junk food our kids eat, and ensure they have a reasonable balanced diet. And when we’re putting in all that effort, the last thing we want is for all 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,” she added.
The Los Angeles Times reports that parents and students should expect to see the changes on the menu appear at the start of the 2012-2013 school year. Changes should continue for the next three years.
The new standards include maximum calorie and sodium limits for meals. Schools will also be required to serve a fruit and a vegetable in bigger portions with every lunch. Two years after the new standards are implemented schools will be expected to offer only whole grains. Milk must be low-fat or fat-free, and flavored milk must also be fat-free. No trans fat will be allowed in any foods.
According to USA TODAY, about 32 million children eat school meals each day, and breakfast is served to nearly 11 million.
