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Holding her styrofoam tray, freshman Savannah Smith walked through the lunch line. Small portions of food were placed onto her tray, and she began to wonder if the portions had been reduced again. Her green beans barely filled the smallest section of her tray and the serving of spaghetti was almost as small. The roll that was usually served with this meal was missing.
Smith began to worry because she had a big tennis match, and she wanted the energy to play her best.
In September, the federal government issued new guidelines that limited the calories that could be included in school lunches. The guidelines have since been revised to allow for more calories.
“I eat school lunch every day, and even though I get the recommended portion of food, I am still hungry after school,” Smith said. “I am at school for many hours after school for practice, so I always bring a snack to eat after school.”
According to Henderson County Child Nutrition Director Christina Dodd, these changes were made for a variety of reasons.
“Everyone thinks it’s all about childhood obesity, but it’s not. These are things that are healthy to eat because they have a lot of vitamins and minerals,” Dodd said. “They will help you pay attention in class, and they will help you if you are athletic. Students need to understand that a good, healthy diet is not just about not being overweight; it’s also about how your body functions and how you feel.”
The Agriculture Department has responded to the criticism of the new school lunch mandates and the problem that students were not getting enough to eat.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told members of Congress in a letter that the department will do away with daily and weekly limits of meats and grains. Several lawmakers wrote the department after the new rules went into effect in September saying students weren’t getting enough to eat.
“This flexibility is being provided to allow more time for the development of products that fit within the new standards while granting schools additional weekly menu planning options to help ensure that children receive a wholesome, nutritious meal every day of the week,” Vilsack said in a letter to senators.
Over the past seven years, several changes have been made to improve the health of students. Many whole grain products have been gradually introduced, desserts have almost completely vanished from the menu and milk has become either 1 percent or skim. Students now have to purchase a fruit or vegetable in order to buy a complete lunch.
These changes are all a part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, an act signed by President Barack Obama in 2010. The act has been fully supported by the Obama family, trying to fight the problem of childhood obesity and promote good health in our nation’s children. Michelle Obama frequently speaks out on the issue.
“As parents, we try to prepare decent meals, limit how much junk food our kids eat and ensure that they have a reasonable balanced diet,” Obama said in a statement at the unveiling of the new standards. “When we are putting in all that effort, the last thing we want is for our hard work to be undone each day in the school cafeteria. When we send our kids to school, we expect that they won’t be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods that we try to keep them from eating at home.”
According to Dodd, Henderson County was one of the first counties to make changes to the school lunches with the health of students in mind. Seven years ago, Henderson County stopped serving fried food and increased the number of fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains offered, reducing the fat content of each meal. This year’s updated standards added a maximum calorie number of 850 and a minimum calorie number of 750 at the high school level.
