Published: December 22, 2009
Recommendations for Healthier School Menus
(BUSINESS WIRE) - (NAPSW)-More fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, less sodium and a
limit on calories served per meal-those are just some of the
recommendations a committee of experts has made on how to improve the
nation's school lunch and breakfast menus.
A new report, "School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children," by
the Institute of Medicine recommends that the Food and Nutrition Service
of the USDA-which oversees the school meal programs—adopt standards for
menu planning that are more in line with the Department of Health and
Human Services' Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The recommended changes in school menu planning include increasing the
amount and variety of fruit at breakfast and vegetables at lunch.
Schools should offer starchy vegetables such as potatoes less often and
provide more green leafy and orange vegetables and more legumes. No more
than half the fruit should be juice.
Schools should ensure that half or more of the bread and other grain
products they serve are rich in whole grains and they should reduce the
amounts of unhealthy saturated and trans fats.
School meals must meet minimum calorie requirements to ensure growing
children get enough energy. But given the increasing rate of childhood
obesity, the report recommends that maximum calorie levels be set as
well.
The amount of salt in school meals needs to be reduced given the
long-term health risks associated with excessive sodium intake. A
typical high school lunch contains around 1,600 milligrams of sodium,
much more than the 740 milligrams recommended. Because gradual changes
in food flavors are more acceptable than abrupt alterations, schools
should phase in salt reductions over the next 10 years.
The report's recommendations are based on the latest child health and
nutrition science. They reflect the greater understanding of children's
nutritional needs and the dietary factors that contribute to obesity and
other chronic health problems we have gained since the school meal
programs were last updated.
About 30.6 million schoolchildren-60 percent—participated daily in the
school lunch program in fiscal year 2007, and 10.1 million children ate
school breakfasts.
The Institute of Medicine is the health arm of the National Academy of
Sciences. To learn more, visit www.iom.edu/schoolmeals
The National Academies
Institute of Medicine
Christine
Stencel, Media Relations Officer, 202-334-2138
cstencel@nas.edu
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