First Lady Michelle Obama rallied support for healthier school meals during a “kids state dinner” at the White House, saying to students and parents at the meal “you all have a right to expect that your hard-earned tax dollars will be spent on food that meets basic nutrition standards. It’s as simple as that,” she said in a transcript. Obama is a leading voice in the administration against a proposal by House Republicans to give some schools a one-year waiver from rules calling for more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and less salt, sugar and fat in school meals.
“There’s a lot of money involved in feeding our kids at school. We are currently spending $10 billion a year…So it’s not surprising that there are certain interests that are resisting change and trying to take us back to the old ways of doing business,” said Obama, who started the “Let’s Move” initiative against child obesity.