Beginning this fall, students will see a change in their school lunches. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently unveiled updated school meal guidelines, which aim to improve child nutrition and reduce childhood obesity among the 32 million kids that participate in school meal programs each school day.
For kids, this means more fruits and vegetables and less fattening options.
“Improving the quality of the school meals is a critical step in building a healthy future for our kids,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in a statement. “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.”
Under the new regulations, part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act signed into law last year, K-12 schools will be required to offer fruits and vegetables every day, increase the amount of whole-grain foods and reduce sodium and fat in foods served. Schools will also be required to offer only fat-free or low-fat milk. Additionally, the menus will pay attention to serving sizes to make sure children receive calories appropriate to their age.
Before the changes, kids would snack on pizza, a banana, raisins and whole milk. Future lunches will consist of meals such as whole wheat spaghetti with meat sauce and a whole wheat roll, cooked green beans, a half cup of broccoli and cauliflower, kiwi halves and low-fat milk.
“Funded school lunch started as a way to provide kids with enough calories. This revamp is exciting,” said Jessica Chubinski, clinical dietician for the Riley POWER (Pediatric OverWeight Education and Research) Program at IU Health. “(Small kids) should take in 1,200 calories a day and up to 2,400 for high school boys. They only need about a third of those calories at lunchtime.”
Prior to the changes, Joseph Cortes-Gurule, press secretary for the Indiana Department of Education said Indiana schools could choose between three menu plan options that met national standards. Next year, all schools must follow one plan.
Jane Cookson, director of food service for Indianapolis Public Schools said that even without the new guidelines IPS schools offered students several healthy options, however, students had the right to decline those items. The new guidelines will make nutritionally complete meals mandatory.
Other highlights to the program include changes to foods and beverages sold in vending machines and other venues on school campuses; training and technical assistance to help schools achieve and monitor compliance; and increased funding for schools.
Cortes-Gurule said an additional federally funded 6 cents per meal will help finance the changes. The new standards are expected to cost $3.2 billion over the next five years, but Chubinski believes more funds are needed – current funds aren’t adequate for schools to execute the new plans well.
New guidelines, which also include school breakfast, are expected to be completely phased into school programs over the next three years. Menu modifications also mark the first overhaul of the school lunch program in more than 15 years.
Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that about 17 percent of U.S. children and teenagers are obese, many are wondering if students will be happy with changes to their school meals.
“The (foods) that we’re a bit puzzled by is beans and peas, especially with elementary students. We know they like baked beans – they don’t like green peas. We’re not sure about hummus. The legumes, we’re not sure how that’s going to go over either,” said Cookson. “They do like oranges if you wedge them – they don’t like to peel it. They like wedged apples, almost any kind of melon, grapes and fresh pineapple.”
“The first couple years will be the most challenging. These changes will likely result in a lot of food waste in the beginning until everybody gets used to it,” added Chubinski.
Many people also firmly believe that in order to reduce the childhood obesity rates, it’s going to take parents incorporating health habits into life outside of school.
Cortes-Gurule said that the Department of Education plans to work with schools on the new guidelines, but direct contact for parents will be done in the schools. He added that the U.S. Department of Agriculture may have additional food resources for parents beginning next school year.
In Indianapolis, people can participate in the POWER Program, which works with overweight and obese kids and their families to help modify their lifestyles. Program participants must meet weight guidelines, but any parent can use this program as a resource. Program costs depends on the severity of the child’s issues.
“The most recent data shows childhood obesity is stable, but more work needs to be done. If we compare (Hoosier kids) to the national standard, we’re a bit heavier than any of the coasts. We’re not the heaviest, but it’s still too high,” said Chubinski.
For more information, contact your local school district; visit usda.gov; or call the Riley POWER Program at IU Health at (317) 948-5888 or visit iuhealth.org/riley/weight-management.
