Trump administration faces food fight over nutritional standards for school lunches

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Trump administration faces food fight over nutritional standards for school lunches

The White House is rolling back rules that limit sodium and require whole grains in school cafeterias across the country.

There’s a food fight in the school cafeteria, but this time the kids are the spectators.

President Trump is taking a big bite out of regulations that set nutritional guidelines for school lunches. As part of its anti-regulatory push, the White House has revoked a rule limiting the amount of sodium kids can be fed at school lunches. The administration is also going against the grain when it comes to whole grains, saying only 25 percent of the grains served need to be whole.  The previous requirement was 50 percent.

“The new lunch standards will never be consistent with the best practices for dietary advice for kids.  We think it’s a real problem,” says Laura MacCleery, Policy Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. CSPI is taking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to court over the new rules.  “We are basically saying Congress told the department to develop rules that are consistent with dietary guidelines for Americans which sets out dietary advice, and these rules on not consistent with that dietary advice,” she says. A coalition of states led by New York is also suing the administration.

The Student Nutrition Association, a nonprofit organization which represents cafeteria operators and food suppliers, including Domino’s and Kellogg’s, praised the changes. “This is not a rollback,” says Dianne Pratt-Heavner, Director of Media Relations. “School meals continue to meet reduced sodium, calorie and fat limits, while offering students fruits, vegetables and low-fat milk.” Pratt-Heavener also says the research speaks for itself, claiming it shows “today’s school meals are healthier than the typical packed lunch, so we want more students to eat these nutritious meals.”

But the CSPI and other nutrition experts question the motive behind the Student Nutrition Association’s push to ease the requirements. “We don’t really understand why they take the position that school meals shouldn’t be a key dietary support that’s bound by the science of what we know is good for kids,” she said. “They are very allied with some aspects of the food industry that services this marketplace,” she said.

Most parents we spoke to say they don’t support the changes, saying it won’t result in food for thought for their kids. “It’s really unhealthy for kids, and that’s not how they can learn best,” one told us. “If you really want to relax it, I don’t know how that’s going to help anyone, really,” said another.

Ultimately experts and parent BOTH agree, Uncle Sam can’t do it alone. “More parenting, absolutely,” said one mother with her daughter by her side.  The little girl told us she likes whole grain bread better than white bread, but of course, her first choice is French fries.

Steve Rappoport is a Newscast Producer and Anchor for Fox News Radio.  Follow him on Twitter @SteveRappoport