On Wednesday, standards issued by the United States Department of Agriculture will require schools to offer meals with fruits and vegetables to students every day. Schools are also obliged to offer more whole grains as well as low-fat or fat-free milk varieties. The meal programs, which include 32 million students in both public and private schools, will have to reduce sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat.
The new standards are based on efforts by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies to reduce childhood obesity. The latest studies show that 17 percent of children in the United States are obese. The new rules will also have calorie maximums and minimums based on the student’s age. Although students are not required to eat the food, the standards will go into effect on July 1.
