Daily US Times, Washington: Trump administration announced new proposed rules on Friday that would allow schools to cut the amount of fruits and vegetables they were required to serve under standards championed by former first lady Michelle Obama.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue said the changes will let “school nutrition professionals have more flexibility to serve appetizing and healthy meals that appeal to their students’ preferences and subsequently reduce food waste.”
Former First Lady Michelle Obama actively promoted Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Now Trump administration targets the 2010 act. The act required guidelines for school meals and school cafeterias to increase the servings of fruits and vegetables.
The demolition of the act came on Obama’s birthday. The new rules will affect nutritional programs across the USA that feed over 20 million students.
Trump administration new proposals will allow schools to “adjust fruit servings during breakfast” and offer “meats and meat alternates” during breakfast. Under current rules students in K-12th grades should be privided one cup of fruit during breakfast and certain types of vegetables during meals served at schools.
It will allow “local schools to offer more vegetable varieties,” opening the door to unhealthier vegetables potentially being served.
Some school districts and food lobbies like potato industry have long urged to ease the standards put in place under the Obama administration that mandated more wholegrain foods, fruit and vegetables in school meals.
The House Committee on Education and Labor responded about the proposed rules. The committee said “For many children, the food they eat at school is their only access to healthy, nutritious meals.”
”This . . . puts special interests above the long-term health and development of America’s students,” it added.
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