From the Minot Daily News: Proposed legislation to lock flexibility into the federal school lunch program is being welcomed by Minot administrators, teachers and students.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., a sponsor of the legislation, visited Magic City Campus Wednesday to provide an update at a news conference and hear from school representatives.
Hoeven and Mark Pryor, D-Ark., with the support of a bipartisan group of senators, introduced the Sensible School Lunch Act to provide school districts with greater flexibility in implementing new rules for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.
"Flexibility is something we need to see in the hot lunch program guidelines," said Mary-Beth Gross, nutrition instructor at Magic City. "By having fewer 'strict' guidelines, we may see an increase in how many students stay in and eat at the school, ensuring they get at least one nutritional meal a day. For some, this may be the only full meal they get."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture drew complaints after releasing its final rule for the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 last year. The final rule attempted to curb obesity among youth by strictly limiting calories, protein and grains for all students, without considering different dietary needs.
The USDA categorizes students into broad grade brackets for the purpose of nutritional needs, leaving a 13-year-old eighth grader with the same protein on his plate as a 5-year-old kindergartener and only one more ounce of grain.
"That leaves some of our eighth-graders very hungry during the day," Hoeven said. "It just doesn't work. It doesn't make sense." http://www.minotdailynews.com/page/content.detail/id/574331/Hoeven-advocates-for-flexible-school-lunch-guidelines.html?nav=5010
As a teacher who spends time in the cafeteria, I see so much food wasted, that you could feed a small malnourished 3rd world country. Every day, hundreds of apples are thrown away, probably 100+ cartons of milk are tossed and some of the main courses are trashed as well. Then if you times that by about 300 schools and CCSD throws enough food each year to feed the people of Ethiopia.
Michelle Obama has advocated for more healthy
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