Get the junk out of school. Bill passes and we investigate.

Question: How much money does it take to up the health quotient of the food served in our nation's public schools and feed more low-income children?

Answer: $4.5 billion -- over 10 years.

Today, the Senate approved the "Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act" which seeks, among other things, to make food served in public schools more healthy.

Athletic-Minded Traveler has posted on this important topic before:

1. An April post highlighted a study that demonstrated that having salad bars in schools leads to increase veggie consumption.
2. We also recognize that first lady Michelle Obama's focus on childhood obesity has brought much needed attention to the subject.
3. Our healthy parenting series included THREE blog posts about healthy parenting -- providing strategies to help families get healthy.  Click here for our approach and strategy, part one which focuses on food, and part two which looks at lifestyle. 
4. And another post suggests that active parents equal healthy kids. 

The bottom line is that this legislation will feed more kids and feed them with more nutritious food.  Thankfully, our understanding from media reports is that some foods will simply be banned:  soda, candy bars and other high sugar snacks.  Additionally, kid favorites like pizza will have to meet new nutrition "guidelines". **NOTE it is unclear where the idea of "banned foods" comes from...We could not find it in the actual legislation.

So what are these nutrition guidelines and what does the bill really do/say?  I attempted to find out. 

• The bill, S 3307, is 220 pages long.
• Section 208 is titled "Nutrition standards for all foods sold in school".  I found it on page 97.
• What does it say you ask?  What I feared:  "The Secretary shall establish science-based nutrition standards for foods sold in schools...." blah blah blah.  It is all future based.
• There is also a carve out for an Organic Food Pilot Program and mention of farm to table programs
• And I'm not sure how Section 231 relates:  "Support for breastfeeding in the WIC Program". 
• From my search of the actual bill, I can not find ONE reference to sugar, soda, pizza or candy.  It is unclear what and if certain "bad" foods will be banned.

BOTTOM LINE

Athletic-Minded Traveler supports healthy eating and strives to provide recipes, strategies and information for our audience.  Just peruse our "Everything Food Archives" for a treasure chest of information.  This bill seems to be on the right track, but it is hard to tell.  So time will tell.

By the way, pizza can be healthy!  Just not this slice :)

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