msnbc: New guidelines would make school lunches healthier

 

By MARY CLARE JALONICK

The Associated Press 

updated 1/13/2011 3:50:20 PM ET 2011-01-13T20:50:20

WASHINGTON —   School cafeterias would have to hold the fries — and serve kids more whole grains, fruits and vegetables — under the government's plans for the first major nutritional overhaul of students' meals in 15 years.

    
The Agriculture Department proposal announced Thursday applies to lunches subsidized by the federal government. The guidelines would require schools to cut sodium in those meals by more than half, use more whole grains and serve low-fat milk. They also would limit kids to only one cup of starchy vegetables a week, so schools couldn't offer french fries every day.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the new standards could affect more than 32 million children and are crucial because kids can consume as much as half of their daily calories in school.
"The United States is facing an obesity epidemic and the crisis of poor diets threatens the future of our children and our nation," Vilsack said Thursday.    

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Sample Before & After School Lunch Menu available here.