New School Nutrition Standards Proposed

One month ago, the current administration signed the "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010", which is designed to improve the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs.  As part of this new law, the USDA was given the authority to set nutritional standards for all foods sold in schools during the day.  However, at the time it was not known when the new nutritional standards would be set.  Yesterday was the first big step in that direction.  Yesterday, the USDA published a proposed rule to update the nutritional standards of the meals served in these school programs.  While you can download and read the full proposal (Docket ID: FNS-2007-0038 at regulations.gov), I have outlined some of the major recommendations below:

Breakfast Calorie Recommendations:

• Grades K - 5 = 350 - 500 calories
• Grades 6 - 8 = 400 - 550 calories
• Grades 9 - 12 = 450 - 600 calories

Lunch Calorie Recommendations: 

• Grades K - 5 = 550 - 650 calories
• Grades 6 - 8 = 600 - 700 calories
• Grades 9 - 12 = 750 - 850 calories

Breakfast Foods:

• Fruit - 1 cup per day (up from 1/2 cup)
• Grains & Meat/Meat Alternatives - 1.4 - 2 grains per day plus 1 - 2 meat/meat alternatives per day  (up from 1 each per day)
• Whole Grains - At least half of grains consumed should be whole grains
• Milk - 1 cup with fat content to be less than 1% (previously had no fat content recommendation)

Lunch Foods:

• Fruit - 3/4 to 1 cup of vegetables plus 1/2 to 1 cup of fruit per day (up from 1/2 to 1 cup of fruits and vegetables combined)
• Vegetables - recommend a weekly requirement for dark green and orange vegetables and legumes, while limiting starchy vegetables (no recommendation previously)
• Meat/Meat Alternatives - 1.6 to 2.4 ounces daily average over 5 days (down from 1.5 to 3 ounces)
• Grains - 1.8 to 2.6 ounces per day on average
• Whole grains - at least to half to be whole grains
• Milk - 1 cup with fat content to be less than 1%

Other Changes:

• Decrease saturated fat to less than 10% of total calories
• Decrease sodium to below 1,500 mg per day over a 10 year period.
• Foods used in school nutrition programs must have zero trans fat
• Offer versus Serve Program - At breakfast, students would be allowed to decline one food item, but MUST choose 1 fruit or vegetable item.  At lunch, students would be allowed to decline 2 food items, but MUST choose 1 fruit or vegetable item.  This program would be required at the high school level, but optional for schools at the elementary and middle school levels.

These proposed recommendations appear to make an overall improvement in the nutritional profile of the foods offered at all school levels.  These changes are clearly designed to increase our kids' consumption of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, while reducing their saturated fat and sodium intake.  As part of this, schools will no longer be allowed to offer whole milk or reduced-fat (2%) milk. These changes place the school breakfast and lunch programs more in line with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and consistent with the daily recommended intakes suggested by the Institute of Medicine.  At the moment this is still only a PROPOSED rule.  As such, it is open to public comment for the next 90 days.  So if you have any comments or suggestions on these new recommendations, now is the time to voice your opinion.


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Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act Signed!

As I have mentioned in several previous blogs, childhood nutrition is in need of some major improvements.  This is particularly true in regards to the foods provided to children as part of their lunch, vending machine, and a la carte options offered at schools and daycare facilities.  On Monday, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 was officially approved and signed.  Hopefully, this will be a major step in the right direction towards improving childhood nutrition and decreasing childhood obesity.

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act sets forth a number of goals and guidelines, some of which include:

• Giving the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) the authority to set nutritional standards for all foods sold in schools during the day.  This includes school meals, vending machine options, and a la carte options.
• Aids in the establishment of local 'farm-to-school' networks and school gardens in an attempt to focus on fresh, locally grown foods.
• Sets basic standards for school wellness programs that include nutrition education and physical activity.
• Requires school districts to be reviewed every three years to see if they have met new nutritional standards.
• Requires schools to make nutritional information on school meals more available to parents.
• Provides additional funding to schools that meet the updated nutritional standards.

While updated nutritional standards do not appear to have been developed or released yet, a sample menu suggests that healthier options like more fruits and vegetables, more whole grain foods (whole wheat spaghetti, whole wheat dinner rolls, etc.), more low-fat replacements (low-fat salad dressing rather than regular salad dressings), and leaner protein products (turkey, fish, etc) will be emphasized. Although changes will not appear overnight, this new piece of legislation has the potential to make real improvements in childhood nutrition and wellness that will hopefully lead to reductions in childhood obesity.  You can download a fact sheet that provides more information as well as a sample menu at Let's Move.

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Improving School Vending Machine Choices

Many individuals and organizations point to vending machines and other 'competitive food/beverages' (i.e. school stores, snack bars, a la carte items, etc) in schools as a major contributor to childhood obesity and poor diet quality among American children.  Two recent research studies continue to reinforce this theory.

A recent study (free to download) published in the September issue of the Journal of School Health examined the use of 'competitive foods/beverages' by over 2,300 school children in grades 1 - 12.  A questionnaire was used to collect information on food consumption over a 24-hour period, which was then used to assess the children's diet quality and nutrient intake.  The results of this survey showed that 22% of school children purchased and consumed foods from competitive venues during the school day and usage was highest in high school students.  The results of this study also showed that consumption of these 'competitive foods/beverages' resulted in poorer diet quality.  School children consuming these foods typically consumed over 200 calories more than school children who did not purchase these foods.  Additionally, consumption of these 'competitive foods/beverages' resulted in increased intake of sugar and decreased intake of fiber, B vitamins, and iron.

A second study investigated how common it was for middle school students (grades 6 - 8) to buy snacks and beverages from vending machines instead of buying the school lunch.  For this study, data was collected from over 4,300 middle school students using the 2003 Florida Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey.  The results of this survey analysis showed that 18% of middle school students purchased a snack or beverage from vending machines 2 or more days during the previous 5 days of school.  The most commonly purchased food items were chips, pretzels/crackers, candy bars, soda, and sport drinks.

It is clear from these two studies, that vending machines are commonly utilized by school children of all ages, though high school students appear to be the most active users.  While many vending machines provide healthier options in addition to the standard fare to which we have grown accustomed, school children still typically choose the less healthy options.  These and previous studies show us that the presence of vending machines in schools, the choices they provide, and the choices the school children make lead to a poorer diet quality and increased energy intake in school children.

Clearly, we need to make improvements in what we are offering school children through these 'competitive food/beverage' options.  Fortunately, it appears that we are slowly making progress in this direction.  An article published in the Chicago Tribune (May 16, 2010) reports that future vending machines will offer more fresh fruits/vegetables, more appropriate portion sizes, and lower calorie options due to tighter state and federal nutrition standards.  While we still have a long way to go, progress is slowly being made.

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Preventing Childhood Obesity By Removing 'Junk' Foods From Schools

Childhood obesity is a major health issue that is grabbing headlines everywhere lately... and with good reason.  The prevalence of obesity in U.S. children has increased dramatically over the last couple of decades, so much so that about one-third of U.S. children are now considered overweight or obese.  There have been a number of strategies employed in the fight against childhood obesity with varying degrees of success. 

One such strategy was the removal of 'junk' foods from California schools.  However, the impact of this strategy on rates of childhood obesity has been uncertain until recently.  A new study published in Health Affairs, reports on the apparent success of this strategy.  Obesity researchers examined body mass index (BMI) information from 5th and 7th grade students in the Los Angeles Unified School District and California overall.  Information was examined for the years prior to enactment of these laws in comparison to BMI data after these laws were enacted.  The results showed:

• Obesity rates were increasing in all student groups (5th and 7th graders) before the policy became effective.
• After enactment of the 'junk' food policy, the increase in obesity incidence was substantially decreased in 7th grade students and 5th grade boys throughout California.
• The rate of obesity in 5th grade students from the Los Angeles Unified School District slowed down after enactment of these healthy eating policies.

The results of this study are good news in the fight against obesity.  By offering school age children healthier eating options, it appears possible to slowly reduce the rise in childhood obesity.  Of course, changing the eating environment in schools is only part of the battle.  At this point there is nothing to prevent children from making less than healthy food choices outside of the school environment.  To learn more about childhood obesity, you can visit the CDC's website or the We Can! national childhood obesity prevention program.