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Op-ed: Don’t reverse progress toward healthier school lunches
By Tom Vilsack
As parents, you trust your family pediatrician to help you make informed choices about your children's health — not politicians or special interests. That's why when developing the first meaningful improvements to school meals in 30 years, we turned to the people who care the most for kids, including pediatricians and other respected health, nutrition and school meal professionals.
For the past three years, kids have eaten healthier breakfasts, lunches and snacks at school thanks to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which improved the nutrition of foods and beverages served in cafeterias and sold in vending machines. Our kids are getting healthier as a result. Parents and pediatricians approve. But some politicians in Congress aren't so happy. Now that the Act is up for reauthorization in Congress, opponents are straining to roll back the progress we've made, putting your children's potential in the hands of Washington interests. This, despite the fact that our national obesity crisis costs the country $190.2 billion per year to treat.
Healthier school meals were developed based on recommendations by doctors and nutrition, health and school meal experts. They gave us the same nutrition advice they give you—kids should eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other healthy foods.
