By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

More than 30 million children in the United States participate in the National School Lunch Program yearly (1 https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/resource-files/NSLPFactSheet.pdf) and more than 14 million children participate in the School Breakfast Program (2). These programs are federally funded, operate in public and nonprofit private schools, and have a stated goal of providing nutritionally balanced, low-cost or no-cost breakfasts and lunches to children each school day (1,2). Meal patterns for these programs are established by the USDA.

Children get more than half of their daily calories from school meals so it’s important that these meals provide nutritious food, the kind of food kids need to grow and be healthy. That means whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruit.

Changes to school meal requirements that were implemented in school year 2012-2013 resulted in significant improvements in the nutritional quality of school meals (3). Specifically, more whole grains, greens, and beans were served to children at lunch and more whole grains and fruit were served at breakfast (3).

A recent proposed rule change (4) would eliminate many of the changes that were made in 2012-2013. The proposed changes would reduce the amount of vegetables and fruit required to be served at breakfast and lunch. Fewer red and orange vegetables (sources of vitamin A) would be required to be served at lunch. The proposed change would allow pasta made with vegetable flour to be counted as a serving of vegetables. I’m sorry, but in my mind, there is a difference between pasta and a salad. Children need to become familiar with vegetables that are presented as vegetables.

If breakfast is served outside of the cafeteria, which many school districts do, the amount of fruit included would be cut from one cup to a half cup. Since the number of calories that must be served at breakfast is unchanged, a half cup of fruit could be replaced with cheaper food like sweet pastries. The proposed changes would allow schools to offer potatoes as a vegetable every day. Potatoes could take the place of fruit at breakfast. Potatoes are a fine food, but they don’t supply the generous amounts of vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, and iron that other vegetables or that fruits do.

A rationale given for the changes is that children don’t like the changes that were made in 2012-2013 and that they’ve resulted in more waste. A study conducted by USDA, refutes this argument and shows that after the 2012-2013 changes, there was either less plate waste or about the same plate waste as before (3).

Some readers may think this is not their issue. Since most school meals have limited options for vegans and vegetarians, their children may bring their own breakfasts and lunches. We still have a long way to go before school meals are vegan. Realistically, however, for many children, these meals are an opportunity to have access to healthy food. These proposed changes cut required healthy plant foods from school meals and are harmful to children’s nutrition.

Comments on the proposed changes can be submitted at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/01/23/2020-00926/simplifying-meal-service-and-monitoring-requirements-in-the-national-school-lunch-and-school#open-comment and must be submitted by March 23, 2020.

References

1.       USDA. The National School Lunch Program. 2017. https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/resource-files/NSLPFactSheet.pdf

2.       USDA. The School Breakfast Program. 2017.  https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/resource-files/SBPfactsheet.pdf

3.       USDA. School Nutrition and Meal Cost Study. 2019. https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/resource-files/SNMCS_Summary-Findings.pdf

4.       USDA Food and Nutrition Service. Simplifying Meal Service and Monitoring Requirements in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. Federal Register. 85 FR 4094. January 23, 2020. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/01/23/2020-00926/simplifying-meal-service-and-monitoring-requirements-in-the-national-school-lunch-and-school