Rising Standards for School Lunches

Every year, children in the United States become more overweight, which puts them at risk for serious health concerns such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and elevated cholesterol and blood pressure levels. In addition to the risk of obesity-related health concerns, poor food choices could lead to other health concerns, like osteoporosis from inadequate calcium intake.

In response to growing concerns over obesity, national attention has focused on the need to establish school nutrition standards and limit access to sugary and salty foods. As a result, over the past few years, school nutrition policy initiatives have been put into place at federal, state, and local levels. However, responses of school districts to meeting wellness policy requirements have not been consistent.

To augment local wellness policies, Congress directed the CDC to undertake a study to review and make recommendations about appropriate nutritional standards for the availability, sale, content and consumption of foods at school. Later, the Agricultural Department effectively banned the sale of snack foods like candy, cookies and sugary drinks in schools.

“Parents and schools work hard to give our youngsters the opportunity to grow up healthy and strong, and providing healthy options through school cafeterias, vending machines and snack bars will support their great efforts,” Tom Vilsack, the agriculture secretary, said.

The new rules were required under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The law, supported by Michelle Obama and drafted with an unusual level of cooperation between nutrition advocates and the food industry, required the Agriculture Department to set nutritional standards for all foods sold in schools.

The department had previously set the standards for fats, sugars and sodium in meals prepared in schools, and the new rules bring other foods under similar standards. When schools open in the fall of 2014, vending machines will have to be stocked with things like whole wheat crackers, granola bars and dried fruits, instead of candy and chips.

“By teaching and modeling healthy eating habits to children in school, these rules will encourage better eating habits over a lifetime,” said Margo Wootan, director of nutrition policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which worked on the legislation. “They mean we aren’t teaching nutrition in the classroom and then undercutting what we’re teaching when kids eat in the cafeteria or buy food from school vending machines.”

Health advocates are taking the same approach to curb the consumption of fatty, sugary and salty foods that they did to reduce smoking: educating children in the hopes that they will grow up healthier and perhaps pass along healthy eating behavior to their parents.

Ms. Wootan said she was pleased that the rules would prevent the sale of sugary sports drinks in high schools. The drinks have already been withdrawn from elementary and middle schools, but Ms. Wootan said teenagers mistakenly think such drinks are healthier than sodas. “All they are is a sugary drink with added salt,” she said.

The American Beverage Association, which lobbies on behalf of the beverage makers, noted that its members had already reduced the calories in drinks that are shipped to schools by 90%.

Magen David Yeshivah’s menu  is posted on their website. They offer children fresh fruit with every meal as well as fruit juices and low-fat milk on dairy days. There are also a variety of vegetables available including steamed broccoli and the Yeshivah of Flatbush provides a full service lunch program, with menus designed to satisfy the children’s nutritional needs. It’s good to know that our children are receiving healthy lunches at school, as well.