School lunches to get healthy revamp

iStockphotp

WASHINGTON - Schoolchildren's favorite lunch - the ubiquitous frozen pizza - is about to get healthier.

First lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack are expected to announce Wednesday that most school meals, including pizza, will have less sodium, more whole grains and more fruits and vegetables as sides. The popular pizzas will still be on school lunch lines but made with healthier ingredients.

Mrs. Obama and Vilsack were making the announcement at an elementary school in Alexandria, Va., with celebrity chef Rachael Ray.

The new rules, the first major nutritional overhaul of school meals in 15 years, won't be as aggressive as the Obama administration had hoped. Congress last year blocked the Agriculture Department from making some of the changes the department had sought, including limiting french fries and pizzas.

A bill passed in November would require USDA to allow tomato paste on pizzas to be counted as a vegetable, as it is now. The initial draft of the department's guidelines, released a year ago, would have prevented that. Congress also blocked USDA from limiting servings of potatoes to two servings a week. The final rule to be announced Wednesday will have to incorporate those directions from Congress.

The congressional changes had been requested by potato growers and food companies that produce frozen pizzas for schools, among others in the food industry. Conservatives in Congress called the guidelines an overreach, saying the government shouldn't be telling children what to eat. School districts had also objected to some of the requirements, saying they go too far and would cost too much.

Teens don't eat enough fruits and veggies
Congress pushes back on healthier school lunches
"Food Corps" teaches children healthy eating

The new guidelines would apply to lunches subsidized by the federal government, and a child nutrition bill signed by President Barack Obama in 2010 would help school districts pay for some of the increased costs. Some of the changes could take place as soon as the next school year, while others would be phased in over time.

The guidelines are also expected to limit the total number of calories in an individual meal and require that milk be low in fat. Flavored milks would have to be nonfat.

While many schools are improving meals already, others are still serving children meals high in fat, salt and calories. The guidelines are designed to combat growing childhood obesity and are based on 2009 recommendations by the Institute of Medicine, the health arm of the National Academy of Sciences.

The subsidized meals that would fall under the guidelines are served as free and low-cost meals to low-income children and long have been subject to government nutrition standards. The 2010 law for the first time will extend nutrition standards to other foods sold in schools that aren't subsidized by the federal government, including "a la carte" foods on the lunch line and snacks in vending machines.

Those standards, while expected to be similar, will be written separately and have not yet been proposed by USDA.

[Eric_Starson]

Improving the diets of our kids might actually help prevent premature puberty:
http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/protein-puberty/

[snewsom2997]

This after news stories of a rising black market in unhealthy foods at schools lat week, 100,000 meals thrown away in the LAUSD per day alone. Sorry but these kids are not hungry, they want twinkies, red hot riplets and choco milk, and are happily willing to throw out the food they are provided to do it. Make parents pack lunches get food service out of public schools.

[red_robin]

I cannot understand why people are upset about the 1st Lady wanting our children to have healthier food. They still get pizza, just a healthier version. Seriously, have you eaten at a school lately? The 'food' is nasty.

[JavMD]

THE WHOLE SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM needs REVAMPED !

THe prisons are over crowded... people don't have proper 'thinking' skills nor CHARACTER building traits...

Education them at preschool, continue into elementary and give many 'parent' courses in high school.

THe education system must change ! Kids are graduating that can't even operate a cash machine at McDonalds.. nor figure out the gas mileage their car is getting !

STOP THE Stupid mentality in kids.. especially inter-city... gangs.. driveby shootings ! ! ! ! ! !

HELP !!!

MAKE SCHOOLS give a 'warranty' on the kids... if they don't become a contributing member of society... (get a job and pay taxes) then they can attend courses for free !

[credibility2]

How much more is this going to cost taxpayers? It's not the responsibility of taxpayers to feed the kids of others.

[Drivelphobe001]

These kids only throw it away anyway. Who's idea was it to start providing free meals at public schools? What a waste of taxpayer dollars. Thankfully, there is so much opportunity for success in this country, that those who work hard, become educated and focus can insulate themselves from the hordes of worthless parasites and live a decent life. I fear it is too late to make any substantive changes. As illegals stream in and remain, homeless are given cell phones, and EBT is accepted at the finest restaurants, the writing is on the wall. America, the land of entitlements and going down the drain.

[dantom39]

More slop the kids will not eat quit being hellicopters over these kids trouble with liberals ram this bs down kids throat.