Officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed new standards for school lunches last week that would look at limiting added sugars and sodium in meals for the first time.
The USDA has set a timeline for when it would like to accomplish its goals, saying that by 2029 it would like to improve nutrition and align with US dietary guidelines for the more than 15 million kids that eat breakfast and more than 30 million children who eat lunch every day through school programs, the department shared in a press release.
“School meals happen to be the meals with the highest nutritional value of any meal that children can get outside the home,” Vilsack said.
The plan limits added sugars in foods and would be required by the 2025-2026 school year, starting with high-sugar foods like cereals, yogurts, and flavored milk.
By fall 2027, added sugars in school meals could only account for 10% of the total calories per week in the meals served.
This means that under the new guidelines, food like an 8-ounce container of chocolate milk couldn’t have more than 10 grams of sugar in it. In comparison, there are popular kinds of flavored milk being sold in school lunches now with more than twice that amount.
For surgery grain desserts, the plan would limit foods like muggins or doughnuts to no more than twice a week at breakfast.
Sugar is not the sole macronutrient being limited by the USDA, as sodium is also being limited in the proposal. In total, sodium in school meals would gradually be reduced, dropping by 30% by the fall of 2029.
This will see the current average of about 1,280 milligrams of sodium currently allowed in lunches for kids in grades 9 to 12 drop to 935 milligrams.
While most of the goals have a completion date of 2025 or later, Vilsack said that schools can adjust beforehand if they are ready.
“Our hope is that many school districts and food providers accelerate the timeline on their own,” Vilsack said.
The plan is an effort to reduce the risk of diseases like obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other problems in kids. However, not everyone is on board with the changes.
The executive director of Urban School Food Alliance, Katie Wilson, shared with The Associated Press that the changes are “necessary to help America’s children lead healthier lives.
However, those in smaller and rural school districts are speaking out against the plan, saying that it only creates a burden for them. Among those speaking out includes Diane Pratt-Heavner, a spokeswoman for the School Nutrition Association.
“School meal programs are at a breaking point,” she said. “These programs are simply not equipped to meet additional rules.”
To help with this change, Vilsack did share that the USDA is funding grants of up to $150,000 to help smaller communities make the changes.
A 60-day public comment period on the plan will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 7.
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