Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act

School nutrition standards haven’t been updated since 2010, when the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act — former First Lady Michelle Obama’s overhaul of school nutrition standards that mandated more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and reduced sodium — was passed. As Congress moves forward with a long-overdue Child Nutrition Reauthorization, lawmakers and advocates are sparring over what changes, if any, should be made to the food kids eat at school.(No paywall)

The USDA spends $13.7 billion annually on school food, about 10 percent of its budget. But do school food programs improve children’s diets? A new study says yes, especially for low-income students who benefit from free and reduced-price lunch.