School meals will have less sugar and sodium in the coming years.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced new school meal standards today that will take effect gradually from the fall of 2025 through the fall of 2027. The AAP has advocated for the change in standards, part of a national strategy to end hunger and reduce diet-related disease by 2030.
K-12 schools serve meals to nearly 30 million children every school day and are the main source of nutrition for many of these children. The AAP weighed in on the USDA’s proposed changes to school meals last spring and supports the final standards, which are similar to what AAP recommended.
“Pediatricians know strong nutrition helps children to grow up healthy and thrive, which is why it is critical that these meals are healthy and nutritious,” said AAP President Benjamin D. Hoffman, M.D., FAAP. “The American Academy of Pediatrics applauds USDA for updating the school meal standards to reflect the best available nutrition science, including the first-ever limit on added sugars to help protect young people from harmful, lifelong health consequences.”
Excess sugar consumption contributes to obesity and increases the risk for dental decay, heart disease and diabetes. The new meal standards call for limits on added sugars in breakfast cereals, yogurt and flavored milk starting in the fall of 2025. By the fall of 2027, added sugars cannot be more than 10% of weekly calories in school meals. Sugar limits in cereals and yogurt also will take effect for child care operators next fall. Both flavored and unflavored milk will be available as long as they comply with the added sugar limits.
The new standards also call for sodium to be reduced, although not as much as originally proposed. The new standard calls for 15% less sodium in school lunches and 10% less in breakfasts beginning in the fall of 2027. About 80% of school-age children consume more than the recommended amounts of sodium, according to a USDA study.
Standards for whole grains will stay the same with at least 80% of weekly grains required to be whole-grain rich. Schools can continue to offer a variety of nutrient-rich whole grains with an option to offer some enriched grains.
“We all share the goal of helping children reach their full potential,” Agriculture Secretary Tom J. Vilsack, J.D., said in a press release. “Like teachers, classrooms, books, and computers, nutritious school meals are an essential part of the school environment, and when we raise the bar for school meals, it empowers our kids to achieve greater success inside and outside of the classroom.”
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