In nutrition guidelines published in the Federal Register April 25, the US Department of Agriculture for the first time capped added sugar in school meals, but pulled back on proposed restrictions for sodium, milk and refined grains that school nutrition...
Only three out of five licensed childcare centers in low-income areas participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), revealing an opportunity to provide healthy food for children and highlighting the discrepancy in resources and awareness...
A notable uptick in food insecurity in the US in 2022 from the previous year is a “wake-up call” for federal and local governments to better fund and fully use federal nutrition assistance programs, all of which are at risk of being cut or restricted,...
Research that shows toddlers who receive meals and snacks from their childcare are healthier and more food secure than those who bring meals from home underscores the importance of and need to expand federal support for the Child and Adult Care Feeding...
USDA is taking a less is more approach when it comes to ensuring school meals are properly administered and managed by backing off the frequency of reviews and streamlining monitoring requirements, according to a final rule on program integrity published...
While regulators, legislators and industry stakeholders debate whether whole, 2% and flavored milks should be offered alongside plain, low-fat and fat-free options as a required component of school meals, a growing number of students are raising concerns...
U.S. schools would be permitted to serve whole and 2% milk under a bill with bipartisan backing and House legislators’ approval, but health advocates maintain the measure is not in students’ best interests and would increase saturated fat in school meals.
A new initiative led by the IDFA suggests that leading milk processors including Danone North America and Dairy Farmers of America are prepared to adhere to a lower added-sugars limit for flavored milk in order to continue to offer their products in US...
President Biden’s FY 2024 budget request would increase funding for FDA and USDA and make investments in food safety and nutrition programs, but is far from a done deal given a divisive Congress.
In a bid to provide healthier meals and reduce the amount of sugar and salt consumed by school kids, the USDA has proposed several updates to the school nutrition standards, with flavored milk potentially excluded from some kids' menus.
Research shows school meals are the healthiest source of nutrition for most students in the US, but the US Department of Agriculture thinks they can be healthier, which is why it is proposing stricter standards that would reduce added sugars, fat and...
Most schools nationwide are struggling to source sufficient options that meet current government-imposed nutrition standards and which students will eat – a problem that could worsen if the US Department of Agriculture imposes stricter, long-term nutrition...
Anti-hunger advocates are lauding Congress for setting aside $40m in the 2023 omnibus spending bill to improve children’s access to healthy food in summer when many schools and their cafeterias are closed, placing young people who rely on free and reduced-price...
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is indirectly pressuring children’s food manufacturers to elevate the healthfulness of their products sold at retail by incentivizing schools to improve the quality of the food they serve and prioritizing the reinstatement...
As children nationwide return to the classroom this week, many caregivers are worried about providing them nutritious food amid rising inflation and the expiration of pandemic-era waivers for universal free school meals – prompting General Mills, Orgain...
Children’s health advocates and the School Nutrition Association lauded President Joe Biden signing this weekend a bipartisan bill to increase funding for school meals and ease requirements for institutions struggling with ongoing supply chain challenges,...
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) wants Congress to once again delay stricter sodium targets and roll back whole grain requirements for school meals out of fear that students will reject the changes and drop out of feeding programs, many of which...
USDA’s announcement this week to extend free school meals through the summer – and possibly the end of the next school year – ensures students are fed even if pandemic-related safety measures keep them at home, but it doesn’t alleviate increased financial...
President Joe Biden today is expected to take aim at the rising rate of food insecurity in the US during the ongoing pandemic by signing an executive order that will increase federal food assistance, including for those who currently receive the maximum...
The School Nutrition Association wants to permanently extend the US Department of Agriculture’s decision late last fall to offer all public-school students free breakfast and lunch through the end of the 2020-21 academic year “as an integral part of the...
Despite broad efforts to reduce sugar, sodium, fat and excess calories in the American diet in recent years, childhood obesity continues to afflict one in seven 10- to 17-year-olds in the US, leaving them vulnerable not only to type II diabetes, high...
Public health advocates fear Congress will adjourn for fall break without first extending emergency food assistance that is set to expire at the end of the month – potentially leaving millions of families whose children rely on free or reduced school...
As many schools negotiate how to teach children safely during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, they also must navigate how to feed them – a challenge that will require creativity and cooperation from regulators, legislators, and school nutrition professionals...
Legislation proposed yesterday to provide all children free school meals not only would help feed the increasing number of children who face food insecurity due to the pandemic and associated economic downturn, but it would also ease financial strain...
The US needs a more integrated nutrition security system to help fight the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which disproportionately impacts people with underlying health conditions – often related to poor diet, according to an expert from The Rockefeller...
Higher costs associated with serving school meals to needy children during the coronavirus pandemic paired with reduced program participation are generating “crippling financial losses” that could compromise efforts to serve students next year unless...
While the federal government has taken several steps in recent weeks to help feed low-income children during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a leading public health advocate argues more must be done to protect the one in 10 children facing food insecurity...
Public health advocates are lauding a federal court decision that strikes down a final rule published by USDA in late 2018 that they say rolled back nutrition standards for school meals, but which the School Nutrition Association says provided much-needed...
A controversial USDA proposed rule to “simplify” school meal standards by allowing less fruit, fewer whole grains and less diverse vegetables to be served at breakfast and lunch could negatively impact students’ academic performance and health, according...
Advanced school nutrition policies programs can strongly influence a child’s eating habits and body mass index (BMI), a study led by the Yale School of Public Health concluded.
Health advocacy groups have urged schools to reject a final rule from the Trump Administration that they claim reverses hard-won progress on sodium reduction and whole grain consumption, and “continue their commitment to serve healthier foods on our kids’...
