Nutrition standards are an important, if not controversial, component to school lunch programs across America. A growing trend of obesity among children has prompted school district officials and state and federal agencies to more closely scrutinize the nutritional value of public school lunches. Nearly all states have already made some progress toward improving that value.
National Requirements
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, school lunches must align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Recommendations include no more than 30 percent of a child's calories come from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. School lunches should also provide a third of recommended allowances of protein, vitamins A and C, iron, calcium and calories. While lunches must meet federal nutrition requirements, specific food choices are made by local authorities.
Progress
Progress has been made in increasing the nutritional value of public school lunches. Surveyed school lunches met USDA guidelines for target nutrients and contained lower saturated fats in 2005--the last survey conducted--than they did in 1998, according to the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study. Furthermore, National School Lunch Program participants consumed more nutrients and were more likely to consume key daily nutrients than non-participants.
Challenges
Despite progress, challenges remain in strengthening school lunch nutrition, particularly in regard to saturated and non-saturated fat. Some 34 percent of calories continued to come from fat, while less than a quarter of schools met standards for total fat content. And although more schools are meeting saturated fat requirements than in previous years, 70 percent of schools continue to offer lunches with more than 10 percent of calories coming from saturated fat, according to the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study.
Child Nutrition Act
The Child Nutrition Act requires schools receiving federal funds to have a wellness policy that stipulates specific conditions aimed at maintaining nutritional wellness of students. These include laying out goals for nutrition, including ingredients on all foods served at every campus each day, measuring nutritional wellness and engaging parents in the process.
Considerations
Parental involvement is critical to making more progress in nutrition standards for school lunches. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests reviewing district wellness policies, examining the actual foods to ascertain if they meet nutrition standards and educating children about healthy eating habits. In addition, scrutinizing competing foods in vending machines is recommended.
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