school lunch
Fewer students are paying for school lunches
Every school day, roughly 30 million students eat hot meals through the federally subsidized school lunch program. Participation is down by 2 million in the past four years, a decline that is part of the debate over reauthorization of child nutrition programs this year.
Stabenow stands behind school-lunch reforms
The Democratic leader on the Senate Agriculture Committee won't compromise on school-food reforms as the price of an agreement within the committee on re-authorization of child-nutrition programs, said The Hagstrom Report.
Senate Ag chairman: no new funding for child nutrition
The Senate Agriculture Committee chairman said he does not plan any increase in spending as part of re-authorizing child nutrition programs that range from school lunch to WIC. Kansas Republican Pat Roberts postponed indefinitely a bill-drafting session, originally scheduled for Thursday, while awaiting Congressional Budget Office estimates of the cost of potential elements of the bill.
Longer lunch period means less wasted food
When lunchtime at school gets shorter, students eat less of their meals and discard more food, said the New York Times in summarizing a study of 1,000 children at six elementary and middle schools.
Vilsack: Healthy school meals, greater access to food are vital
Despite political polarization, Congress should keep child nutrition programs rolling towards healthier school meals and making the food available to more youngsters, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in spelling out his goals for reauthorization of the programs.
USDA to award $8 million for nutrition training
The Agriculture Department said it will award $8 million "to help school nutrition professionals better prepare healthy meals for their students."
House Education chair, an overseer of school lunch, to retire next year
House Education Committee chairman John Kline announced over the Labor Day weekend that he will retire in 2016.
Time running out for school lunch, ag bills during fall session
At a news conference today, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will kick off the drive for renewal of child-nutrition programs that almost certainly will miss the Sept. 30 deadline for reauthorization.
Vilsack to step up nutrition battle next week
The USDA announced today that Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack will continue his campaign for reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act, otherwise known as the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, with a speech at the National Press Club on September 8.
Food companies on board with healthy school food
Politico’s Helena Bottemiller Evich examined how food companies that were once fighting healthier school-nutrition standards are now embracing them because of profits derived from churning out healthier fare.
Vilsack addresses critics of Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act
Speaking before the Center of American Progress yesterday, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack dismissed criticism that the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act placed too large a financial burden on school districts.
Vilsack touts school-meals program as reauthorization debate looms
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack kicks off his campaign for reauthorization of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which is set to expire on Sept. 30. It is one of the major agenda items when Congress returns from its August recess.
Strong support for school food as reauthorization nears
More than eight of every 10 Americans say school nutrition standards "should stay the same or be strengthened," said the WK Kellogg Foundation in releasing results of a new poll.
Students select – and waste – more fruits, veggies for lunch
Digital imaging of lunchtime at two elementary schools showed more students putting fruits and vegetables on their cafeteria trays, a goal of the 2010 school-lunch reforms. But they also ate less of the fruits and vegetables and discarded more, says a study by University of Vermont scientists.
Healthy snacks reduce obesity rate in Arkansas school study
A study by U-Arkansas researchers says a program that provides free fresh fruit and vegetable snacks to school children reduced obesity rates by 3 percentage points among elementary school pupils.
Senate bill would label GE salmon, block beef imports
Retailers would have to identify transgenic salmon as genetically engineered and imports of raw beef from Brazil and Argentina would be barred under the USDA/FDA funding bill approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
White House objects to USDA-FDA funding levels and riders
The USDA-FDA appropriations bill awaiting a vote in the Senate "short-changes food safety needs" and "under-funds efforts to address the challenge of child poverty" while carrying harmful "ideological provisions," said the White House budget office.
SNA says “no” to White House nutrition advisor Sam Kass
The School Nutrition Association turned down a request by Sam Kass, White House nutrition policy advisor, to speak at this week's national conference, attended by 6,500 people working in the school food industry, says Politico. SNA chief executive Patricia Montague says Kass, in a message passed through USDA, asked to speak at the conference "to rally the troops" on rules requiring healthier school meals.