Kids around the country are returning to school and many may soon begin to notice some small but significant changes to the offerings in their school cafeteria aimed at improving the health and nutrition of the nearly 30 million kids who eat meals at schools each day in the United States. The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a series of changes for school meals earlier this year. Nutrition standards for school meals will be gradually updated to include less sugar and reduced sodium. The changes are based on the latest science-based recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The changes will be implemented over the next three years. The biggest change will be that, for the first time, there will be limits on added sugars in school meals. Locally, nutritious meals have already become a priority as organizations like Sierra Harvest partner with local school districts including the Nevada City School District, Grass Valley School District and Nevada Union to create a scratch-cooked centralized kitchen.
Sierra Harvest and the Nevada City School District piloted the Foothills Fresh program to pilot scratched cooked school meals working with local farmers. Currently, schools nationwide only have to meet weekly calorie limits, regardless of the added sugars in the foods they serve, according to the USDA. Under the new standards, breakfast cereals served at schools will be limited to no more than six grams of added sugars per dry ounce; yogurt may have no more than two grams of added sugars per ounce; and flavored milk may have no more than ten grams of added sugars per eight fluid ounces.
In addition, a second rule, will require that added sugars be less than 10% of calories across the week in the school lunch and breakfast programs. The USDA says the changes are in response to concerns from parents and teachers about excessive amounts of added sugars in some foods. Research shows that these added sugars are most commonly found in typical school breakfast items.
Eating too many added sugars — common in processed foods, desserts, and sugar-sweetened beverages — is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay and heart disease, according to the CDC. In addition to the new sugar limits, the new standards will eventually require reduced sodium usage, as well. School lunches will see a 15% sodium reduction from current limits, while sodium in breakfast meals will see a 10% reduction.
The USDA is allowing schools three years to meet the new sodium standards in order to give schools, manufacturers, and the general public time to adapt. Eating too much sodium, the majority of which comes from processed foods, has been shown to increase your blood pressure and your risk for heart disease and stroke. Under the new standards, schools can continue to offer flavored and unflavored milk, which provide essential nutrients that children need, such as calcium, vitamin D and potassium.
However, there will be a new limit on added sugars in flavored milk served at breakfast and lunch by Fall 2025. Thirty-seven school milk processors – representing more than 90% of the school milk volume nationwide – have already committed to providing nutritious school milk options that meet this limit on added sugars. By next school year, flavored milk offered to K-12 students in school breakfast and lunch must contain no more than ten grams of added sugars per eight fluid ounces, according to the USDA, while flavored milk sold a la carte in middle and high schools must have no more than 15 grams of added sugars per 12 fluid ounces.
While not a new requirement, starting this school year, it will be easier for schools to serve protein-rich breakfast foods such as yogurt, tofu, eggs, nuts, and seeds, which can help reduce the need for sugary food options, while also supporting vegetarian diets and other food preferences. Because of the health benefits kids can experience from a better diet, the USDA and CDC encourage parents to serve home meals follow similar nutrition standards, including low sugar and low sodium foods. A good place to start is eliminating processed foods and serving more fresh fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains and low fat proteins.
For more advice on your child’s specific dietary needs, talk to your pediatrician..
