New regulations impact school nutrition

The new guidelines essentially roll back the 2010 nutritional standards by decreasing restrictions around the amount of sodium, fat, and sugars that go into school meals. The argument is that the former guidelines were costing nutrition services at schools more money, and that children were not interested in the healthier food items, leading to more food waste.

 Money shouldn’t be a reason to decrease the options of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and sodium regulations. While kids may be inclined to choose options with more sugar, sodium, and fat, it does not mean we shouldn’t continue to offer a variety of fruits and vegetables, and encourage healthier options through standards. Developing good eating habits takes time. Luckily, the rise of Farm to School and locally grown food procurement grants aim to increase locally-sourced foods in schools.

Laura Reiley, a journalist from the Washington Post, explains how these new nutrition guidelines disproportionately affect children who qualify for free and reduced meals.

“Kids can get more than half of their daily calories from school meals. About two-thirds of the 30 million children who eat school meals every day qualify as low-income and are getting meals free or for a reduced price. Low-income kids are disproportionately affected by obesity and are less likely to be fed healthy meals at home, so the nutritional makeup of school meals is impactful.”

Although nutrition standards may change, we still have the power as community members, educators, farmers, parents, and health professionals to make sure that children are being offered locally-sourced, healthy foods. With over one third of Wasco and Hood River County elementary school children being above a healthy weight, it is important that we think about the immediate and long term health outcomes for children. We encourage you to reach out to your local nutrition services director to see how these new guidelines will affect school meals, and voice your support for keeping healthy and locally-sourced food available in schools.

We want individuals who are passionate about school nutrition to come together for a community task force that aims to support healthy foods in schools. If you are interested in participating or want more resources for local food providers, please reach out to us at Jump! In the Gorge via our website https://www.jumpinthegorge.org/.

Carys Fritz is an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer serving with North Central Public Health District, originally from Springfield, Illinois. She is passionate about public service, supporting the arts and being in the outdoors.