Expected Changes to Your Child’s School Lunches in Accordance with the New USDA Nutrition Standards

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Friday proposed major changes to school lunches to make them healthier, with a particular focus on reducing sugar and salt.

The plan, which has a 60-day public comment period starting Tuesday, is a multi-year effort developed with input from school nutrition experts, public health experts, industry representatives and parents, the department said in a statement.

The USDA found that the biggest concerns of stakeholders during the conversation were the amount of added sugar in school meals and the amount of time the industry needed to make these changes to school meals.

“Our commitment to school feeding programs stems from a common goal that we all share to keep children healthy and help them reach their full potential,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

“Many children are not getting the nutrition they need, and nutritional diseases are on the rise. Research shows that school meals are the healthiest meal of the day for most children, proving that they are an important tool for giving children access to the nutrients they need for a brighter future.”

However, not everyone is a fan of the proposed changes.

“Research shows that students get the healthiest food in school thanks to current nutritional standards,” said School Nutrition Association (SNA) President Laurie Adkins. “As schools across the country grapple with persistent supply chains, labor and financial challenges, school meal programs struggle to successfully maintain current standards and need support, not additional, unrealistic requirements.”

Here are the main changes suggested for your child’s school meals:

Limiting added sugar

The new plan, proposed by the USDA, will have a public comment period for parents and others to have their say on the changes. (AP Photo/J. David Ake, File)

The USDA plans to limit added sugar as part of a two-part plan.

The first step in the plan is to limit the addition of sugar to foods that are particularly high in sugar, such as breakfast cereals, flavored milk, cereal desserts, and yogurt.

There are currently no restrictions on adding sugar to school lunches. With the changes, breakfast cereal will only allow 6 grams of added sugars per dry ounce, yogurt will have no more than 12 grams of added sugars per 6 ounces, flavored milk will have 10 grams of added sugars per 8 fl oz, and grains will have 10 grams of added sugars per dry ounce. sugar per 8 ounces of liquid. dessert-based will be no more than 2 ounces equivalent per week in school breakfast.

The goal is to limit the amount of added sugar in these foods by 2025, but the USDA also wants to introduce a weekly total limit in the 2027-2028 school year: no more than 10 percent of a child’s calories in a given week can be added sugar.

The abbreviations were approved by the American Heart Association, which has advocated for such changes.

“By proposing for the first time to limit the amount of added sugar in school meals, the USDA is taking an important step to help children achieve more nutritious diets and improve their health,” the organization said in a statement. “Added sugars are a significant source of excess calories, have no nutritional value, and can cause weight gain and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.”

More whole grains

The new changes to school meals, if adopted, will be completed by 2029. (AP Photo/Larry Crow)

The USDA wants to make whole grains the main option available because they “are a key source of fiber and may help support healthy digestion and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.”

There are two options on which the department would like feedback during the public comment period on the proposal. The current standard, which says that schools should make up 80 percent of all grains offered per week from foods rich in whole grains, could be maintained. Another would allow schools to serve non-whole, grain-fortified foods only one day a week.

The entire change, if adopted, will be one of the fastest, in the fall of 2024.

The American Heart Association had hoped for a 100 percent switch to whole grains, but is hopeful for the plan.

“We appreciate that the proposed standards continue to emphasize the importance of whole grains. While we would like the USDA to reinstate the requirement for 100% fortified whole grains, the proposed standard will still encourage the consumption of whole grains while giving schools some flexibility in menu planning,” the group said in a statement.

Reduce your sodium intake

Less sodium in school lunches would be more in line with FDA guidelines. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

The USDA is proposing a 30 percent reduction in sodium in school lunches, but over time, so that school chefs, the food industry, and children’s tastes have time to adjust.

There will be three separate 10% reductions in sodium in autumn 2025, 2027 and 2029.

“Studies show that nearly all children consume more sodium than recommended, which can lead to high blood pressure and heart disease,” the USDA said in a statement.

However, this change, along with other changes to the supply, is not supported by the SNA, which argues that supply chain problems and national shortages make the targets unattainable.

The group points to a survey of school feeding program directors that shows many are already struggling with current nutritional standards.

“With no visible supply chain or workforce issues, a majority of respondents also expressed concern about proposals to set long-term standards that exceed transitional sodium limits (98.3%) and added sugar limits (94.4%).” SNA said.

Changes in milk intake

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Perhaps the standards for milk under the new proposals will not change. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

The proposed standards will still allow flavored milk but will aim to encourage students to choose skim and non-fat milk options. They include an optional restriction of flavored milk for ninth grade and above, or leave flavored milk options for all grades.

If the standard changes, it will be implemented in autumn 2025.

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