In its new “Start Simple” initiative, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests straightforward adjustments to our diets that can significantly enhance our nutrition. With resources such as tip sheets, toolkits, menu templates, and the MyPlateChallenge, it appears that incorporating healthy foods into our lives has never been easier. However, for school-aged children participating in the USDA’s National School Lunch Program, achieving this simplicity is far more challenging. The program provides low-cost or free lunches to 31 million students at over 100,000 public and private schools daily. Although the meals are designed according to dietary guidelines, they often fall short of being beneficial for both children and the environment. Ironically, it is the USDA itself that complicates nutrition for schools.
Here are five ways the USDA’s school lunches fail to give our kids the right start:
1. Insufficient Variety of Fruits and Vegetables: The MyPlate guidelines recommend that half of every meal should consist of fruits and vegetables. Yet, are piles of fried potatoes the vegetables we envision for our children? Nearly half of the vegetables consumed by most school-aged children in the U.S. are French fries. USDA research indicates that we do not produce enough fruits and vegetables to meet the recommended daily servings outlined in federal dietary guidelines. School menus often do not reflect the ideal portions or variety of vegetables as per USDA recommendations. A significant reason for this is the lack of government investment in schools. Without adequate funding, many schools cannot create meals from scratch and often lack the necessary refrigeration to store fresh produce, leading to reliance on more packaged and processed food, which results in less nutritious meals and more waste.
2. Absence of Healthy Whole Grains: MyPlate suggests that at least half of the grains in pizza, pasta, pancakes, tacos, and burritos should be whole grain. Until recently, schools were mandated to serve breads, tortillas, and pastas that were at least 50% whole grains unless they obtained a waiver. However, due to USDA rollbacks, only half of these products now need to be whole grain-rich. Although schools struggled to comply with previous requirements, this was not due to student resistance to whole wheat pizza crust. The USDA has not provided adequate support for schools to purchase affordable whole-grain products, forcing them to opt for cheaper white flour and more processed grains.
3. Excessive Processed and Meat-Laden Proteins: A simple start includes a variety of protein sources, according to the USDA. This should encompass meats like fish, poultry, and beef, as well as a range of beans and other plant-based proteins. However, due to subsidies favoring inexpensive meat, schools often depend on highly processed meat products. A typical high school menu sees students consuming about 8 ounces of ground or processed beef weekly, primarily through sloppy joes, hamburgers, and hot dogs, which are served three times a week on average. This reliance on processed meat is detrimental not only to children’s health but also to the environment, resulting in significant habitat loss, excessive water usage, and substantial CO2 emissions. While the USDA permits schools to offer meat alternatives like veggie burgers, tofu, and tempeh, these options are frequently too costly for schools to include in their regular menus.
4. Overreliance on Dairy Products: Dairy plays a significant role in American childhood diets, from cartons of milk to cheesy pizza slices. However, is dairy a staple in school lunches because it is genuinely healthy for kids, or is it simply pushed by the USDA? The environmental impact of dairy is concerning, with school milk contributing to extensive habitat loss, massive water consumption, and high CO2 emissions. Although the USDA recommends low-fat or fat-free dairy, there are efforts to allow schools to serve whole milk, primarily to support struggling dairy producers. The USDA also buys surplus cheese to sell to schools, keeping dairy prices lower than those of plant-based milks in the lunch program.
5. High Levels of Salt, Fat, and Sugar: The USDA advises Americans to avoid sugary drinks and limit saturated fats and salt. Yet, late last year, the department relaxed restrictions on sugary beverages and salt in school lunches, putting children at risk of exceeding daily recommendations from the USDA’s own dietary guidelines. Under Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, the USDA even encouraged chocolate milk consumption by relaxing nutrition standards aimed at combating childhood obesity, benefiting the processed food and dairy industries.
Schools receive just over $1.30 per child to cover food, labor, equipment, electricity, and other costs associated with the lunch program. If we truly wish to start simply, perhaps we could invest a little more in each child to ensure their access to fresh, sustainable, and nutritious meals daily. Addressing the menus in the school lunch program presents an opportunity to positively impact the planet with 31 million meals served each day. That is simply powerful.
Incorporating essential nutrients like calcium citrate malate, vitamin D3, and magnesium tablets could further enhance children’s diets, ensuring they receive vital minerals for their growth and development. By focusing on incorporating these nutrients into school meals, we can help build a healthier future for our children.