Ensuring School Lunch Rules are Flexible and Balanced
Encouraging kids to get active and make healthy eating choices should be priorities as we combat the growing child obesity problem, which is why I have backed legislation, such as the Healthy Kids from Day One Act, to promote physical activity and healthy eating. I led a bipartisan effort to prevent the U.S. Department of Agriculture from imposing overly rigid restrictions on the vegetables that schools can serve at meals. School lunch providers in Colorado told me that this restriction will result in significant challenges for food service operations through higher costs, reduced flexibility and fewer students participating in school meal programs. The law, signed on Nov. 18, 2011, now allows schools working within already tight budgets the flexibility to provide nutritious meals – including starchy vegetables like peas, corn and potatoes that are cooked in a healthy way – and teaching kids healthy eating choices.
If you have further questions about this or any other issue, please contact me with your concerns.
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