Historic Improvements to School Meals Will Mean Healthier Kids in Blue Island
Last week, USDA announced new meal requirements that will raise standards for the 1st time in more than 15 years and improve the health and nutrition of nearly 32 million kids that participate in school meal programs every school day. The healthier meal requirements are a key component of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which was championed by the First Lady as part of her Let’s Move! campaign and signed into law by President Obama.
The final standards make the same kinds of practical changes that many parents are already encouraging at home, including:
- Offering both fruits and vegetables every day of the week;
- Substantially increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods;
- Offering only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties;
- Serving proper portion sizes based on the age of children; &
- Increasing the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat, trans fats and sodium.
Check out the Before & After menu comparison below
It’s Time to Eat Real, Blue Island! Food Day is Oct 24!
On October 24, 1000s of events from coast to coast at homes, schools, colleges, farmers markets, houses of worship, and city halls will inspire Americans to improve their diets and fix our food system.
These events will generate media coverage in every corner the country, help to send thousands of signatures to Members of Congress supporting a national agenda, and most importantly, begin the millions of conversations that will lead to individual and systemic changes.
What can YOU do to support Food Day?
- Try out some real food Food Day recipes.
- Buy your kids a healthy snack at 1 of Blue Island’s Healthy Hotspots.
- Join a local community garden.
- Know your farmer - join a CSA or Food Coop.
- Ask Congress to Fix America’s Broken Food System.
