For many of New Mexico’s students, school meals are crucial, with more than 80% of them receiving half their daily calories from school breakfasts and lunches. Now, new nutrition standards from he U.S. Department of Agriculture aim to make these meals healthier and prevent diet-related diseases which are on the rise.
The USDA has proposed revisions to improve the nutritional quality of school meals. For the first time, those standards will limit added sugars in foods and decrease sodium levels.
The federal government publishes dietary guidelines for Americans every five years, but school nutrition standards so far haven’t followed those guidelines.
Dr. Beth Jimenez, a professor and pediatric dietitian with the University of New Mexico, said eating habits of young children can go a long way in reducing chronic disease as adults.
“Nutritious meals can help kids learn better, reduce behavior problems, and can reduce children’s risk long-term for chronic diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer and chronic kidney disease,” said Jimenez.
Sandra Kemp is the executive director for Albuquerque Public Schools Food and Nutrition Services. She said that throughout the district she serves about 30,000 students for breakfast and about 45,000 students lunch and innovative partnerships with local farms help APS keep its food healthy.
“Hopefully we will be on the forefront of continuing to have more locally grown sourced products throughout the whole entire year,” said Kemp.
The USDA plans to issue its final rule this month so districts can start planning for the next school year.
This coverage is made possible by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and KUNM listeners.
