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Healthy Eating and School Lunches
Isaac J. from PJMS
There have been many changes to what is being served across school
lunchrooms in the United States. Many healthy school lunch programs
have been implemented into schools, and students have seen a decrease
in the amount of fast foods being offered. Long gone are the days of
nachos, pop, potato chips, and breadsticks. Students are now
finding that some of their old time favorites are now being replaced
with juice, milk, fruit, and vegetables.
The changes made to the lunches are a result of Healthy Hunger-Free
Kids Act of 2010. This act made many changes on how the United States
Department of Agriculture could change regulations in school lunches.
The department claims “[The act] allows USDA, for the first time in
over 30 years, opportunity to make real reforms to the school lunch and
breakfast programs by improving the critical nutrition and hunger
safety net for millions of children” (USDA). Although these rules have
been good for making meals that are healthy, they require a large
amount of tuning to serve meals that are worth what they cost and fill
students up for the rest of their school day.
Aside from portion size, students may also be hungry because they are
refusing to eat these new options. Many students are not open to the
idea fruits and vegetables on their lunch tray, and feel that there are
a lack of options being offered. As a result, many students have been
in an uproar about the changes. Vivian Yee of the New York Times wrote
an article showcasing the uproar shown by students and their distaste
with their current school lunches. They claim the lunches have
decreased in quality and quantity, but have increased in price.
Works Cited
USDA. "Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act." Food and Nutrition Service
Website. USDA, 2012. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.
<http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/legislation/cnr_2010.htm>.
Yee, Vivian. "No Appetite for Good-for-You School Lunches." The
New York Times. The New York Times, 06 Oct. 2012. Web. 6 Dec. 2012.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/06/nyregion/healthier-school-lunches-face-student-rejection.html?pagewanted=all>.
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