Children may complain about many different things at school, but school lunches are something that always seems to come up sooner or later. That may be changing, however, because the United States Department of Agriculture has updated its school nutrition standards.
Although that, in itself, won’t necessarily make the meals any tastier, it is nice that they are focusing on school lunch menus to elevate the goal of better health. The current initiative is to run from 2022 through 2024.
The Washington Post reports that those stricter health standards are being reinstated by the USDA after being cut a number of years ago.
According to a tweet from the USDA, they are giving the schools an opportunity with a “clear path forward” as they come out of the pandemic.
We have announced updates to the school nutrition standards beginning in school year 2022-2023 that give schools a clear path forward as they build back better from the pandemic
— Dept. of Agriculture (@USDA) February 4, 2022
According to a release from the USDA, some of the different factors associated with the new standards include the following:
Milk: For students who are 6 years of age or older, they will be offering flavored and unflavored lowfat and nonfat milk.
Whole Grains: Expect to see at least 80% of all school lunch and breakfast grains to be whole grains.
Sodium: During the current year, both school lunches and breakfasts will stick with the current sodium standards. In the 2023-2024 school year, however, school lunches will cut sodium by 10%.
Just Announced: @USDA Helps Schools Build Back Better, Issues Transitional Nutrition Standards for Coming School Years. Learn more: https://t.co/YYSfFBQI6E #schoolmeals pic.twitter.com/bCeUAz5ssw
— USDA Nutrition (@USDANutrition) February 4, 2022
According to the release, agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack stated: “Nutritious school meals give America’s children the foundation for successful, healthy lives. These transitional standards are step one of a longer-term strategy to lean into the school meal programs as a crucial part of improving child health.”
He went on to speak about the need of providing the best lunches possible and adhering to the highest standards since millions of children each school lunches every day.
The USDA is also thinking beyond the current school year and next year. They would like to set goals for nutrition that stretch into the 2024-2025 school year and beyond.
Vilsack said: “We’ve got to find the right balance between standards that give our kids the best chance at a healthy future based on the latest nutrition science, and ensuring those standards are practical, built to last, and work for everyone. We are eager to listen and learn from their ideas because when it comes to the health and well-being of our nation’s children, we must always continue to aim high and strive for the best.”