WASHINGTON -- Springdale School District Child Nutrition Director Carol Godfrey said she supports new nutrition standards for breakfasts and lunches that are served at schools, but the changes are happening too fast.
The fairly new rules, backed by the Obama administration, required schools to add more fruits, green vegetables and whole grains to school meals, while limiting calories, sodium and fat.
"We want to serve healthy meals. We just want to have meals that students will eat," said Godfrey, who is also president of the Arkansas School Nutrition Association. "I just feel like we're going a little bit too far. We're taking it a little bit further than need be."
Many members of Congress agree. As early as this week, both the U.S. House and Senate are expected to vote on measures in agriculture appropriations bills that could scale back or delay the requirements.
Implemented starting in 2012, the changes were a major part of first lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" campaign to reduce the number of overweight children through exercise and better nutrition. But there has been push-back from members of Congress who are concerned about increased prices and students refusing the food.
At a Thursday event with schoolchildren to harvest the White House garden, the first lady said she was committed to seeing the standards -- which are still being phased in -- remain in place.
"We are paying billions of dollars to invest in that food as taxpayers. And as a result, it's up to us to make sure that these kids get the best food that they can get into their stomachs because it's not just about nutrition, it's about their academic success," she said.
"I'm going to fight until the bitter end to make sure that every kid in this country continues to have the best nutrition that they can have in our schools because these kids -- all of these kids -- are worth it."
The House agriculture appropriation creates a one-year waiver from the nutrition requirements for any school or district that has shown a net operating loss on school meals for at least six months beginning in July 2013.
A Tuesday policy statement released by the White House states that staff members would recommend the president veto the legislation in its current form.
"This would be a major step backwards for the health of American children by undermining the effort to provide kids with more nutritious food. More generally, the administration strongly opposes the inclusion of any language in the bill that would override science-based standards that improve child nutrition," it states.
U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark., said he supports giving districts more flexibility, however.
"We have to make sure that the healthy foods are foods they will eat," he said. "If they are not eating, they're not getting nutrition."
The Senate agriculture appropriation includes delays on the standards.
U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., who is chairman of the Senate Appropriation Committee's Agriculture Subcommittee, added a provision that would delay a requirement limiting sodium for a year and would require the U.S. secretary of agriculture to report on whether whole grain products are available to schools. If they are not available, the secretary would have to come up with alternative options, a Pryor staff member said.
"Pryor's main concern is schools meeting the 100 percent whole grain requirement for meals, which is about to go into effect. Right now, we're hearing that there aren't enough products to meet this requirement," Pryor spokesman Lucy Speed said.
She said there is bipartisan support for the Senate changes.
The White House has not released a policy statement on the Senate bill, and the first lady hasn't differentiated between the delays in public comments.
Sam Kass, executive director of Let's Move! and senior policy adviser on nutrition policy for the first lady, said he's confident the delays will be dropped.
"We need to make sure that we put our kids first, we put science first and make sure we're doing what's right for our kids and letting nutritionists determine these standards, not politics and politicians," he said. "I just have faith that reason's going to win out. You see a massive coalition coming together in support."
Kass said he is worried about what lessons the delays teach. For example, Kass said, telling students they don't have to take a fruit and vegetable sends the signal that eating healthy is "just not a priority."
When "our kids say they don't want to do math homework or they don't want to take a science class, we don't tell them 'sure it's not a problem, it's optional,'" Kass said. "This is a foundation of their health and well-being, and we have to make sure that we're putting them in a position to be successful."
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which runs the program, had already modified some of the original nutrition guidelines after kids said they were left hungry and schools complained about prices.
Godfrey said at first, the rules restricted how much protein and grain a school could serve while setting limits on how few and how many calories could be offered. To meet the calorie restrictions, schools were trying to fill children up on vegetables and fruit.
"The students were telling us, 'We're starving to death, you're not giving us enough food,' and then they threw away a whole piece of fruit," Godfrey said. "They can only eat so much fruits and vegetables. It was crazy you couldn't give them more meat."
She said many complaints at her schools dropped once the USDA changed the rules so that districts could provide more protein and grains to meet the calorie goals.
In the next school year, the standards call for schools to serve 100 percent whole grain products, cut the amount of sodium served and provide a full cup of fruit with breakfast, Godfrey said.
While the Springdale district serves about 85 percent whole grains, and students are generally on board, Godfrey said she is worried about finding tasty whole grain crackers or pasta.
"Mac and cheese just isn't the same with whole grain macaroni," she said. "I think we're kind of going just a little bit too far."
Godfrey said the sodium changes mean food may not taste the way children expect. This school year, sodium is capped to a maximum of 540 to 640 milligrams a day for breakfast, depending on age group, and 1,230 to 1,420 milligrams a day for lunch.
"It's a total palate change for everyone," she said. "They are not seeing these changes at home; they are not seeing these changes out in the restaurant [or] fast food industry."
She said the association wants districts to have more flexibility.
"So much is changing so fast. It's hard for us to keep up with it," she said. "Let us adjust to what we have so far before we get hit with more and more."
SundayMonday on 06/15/2014