USDA proposes looser nutrition standards for school meals - Entrepreneur Generations

On Friday the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced two proposals that would roll back some Obama-era nutrition reforms for school meals and summer meals for food-insecure children.

The first proposal would allow schools increased flexibility in school menus, but promises that children would continue to receive "wholesome, tasty meals". However, the American Heart Association strongly opposes the changes, noting that schools would not have to serve as many healthy foods, could serve more fried foods, and that students would be able to choose unhealthy a la carte items such as pizza without having to put fruit or veggies on their tray as well.

The proposal is the latest in a series of moves by the administration to weaken or change nutrition mandates for school meals, partly at the behest of food industry lobbyists. Perdue has also criticized the Obama-era reforms, saying that children won't eat healthier food and that the meals often get thrown away. However, the USDA's own report found that the changes produced "remarkably positive" results in just a few years, that kids were eating the healthier food, and that food waste had not increased.

The second rule would give schools more flexibility over the Summer Food Service Program, including allowing them more control over the menu (as with school meals), meal service times, and allowing children to take some nonperishable foods home. The proposal would also reduce paperwork, shorten the application process for experienced schools, and would increase program monitoring. That could help rural areas, where administrative headaches have made it difficult for some schools to participate in the program.

from The Rural Blog https://ift.tt/2tuqPFy USDA proposes looser nutrition standards for school meals - Entrepreneur Generations

Posted by Entrepreneur Generations

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