“The last thing we can afford to do right now is play politics with our kids’ health,” Obama said. “We have to be willing to fight the hard fight now.” Conservative House Republicans say the new rules, which began taking effect in 2012, are too costly and students don’t like the food.
The remarks by the First Lady were “a rare, high-profile policy move for Obama, who has taken a decidedly collaborative approach to tackling childhood obesity,” said Politico. Obama championed the 2010 law that calls on schools to serve more whole grains, fruits and vegetables and less salt, fat and sugar.
Participation in the school lunch program is down by more than 1 million meals per day over the past couple of years. The School Nutrition Association said in a statement its members support many of the new requirements but schools suffer under “overly prescriptive regulations.”
“There are definitely some schools that are struggling,” said former SNA president Helen Phillips, of the Norfolk (Va) public schools. Some were unprepared or have financial limits, she said, and, “Some people have suffered a decrease in participation. I did initially.” Nutrition director Donna Martin of the Burke County (Ga) Board of Education said students in her district enthusiastically take fruits and vegetables and, after taking fried chicken off the menu, “we have an herb-baked chicken that our children love.”
To read the First Lady’s remarks, click here.