On Feb. 4, the U.S. Department of Agriculture updated nutrition standards for schools.
According to a press release, the updates to nutrition standards will support school meal program operators by providing clear guidelines as schools recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The standards are meant to allow schools to transition from current pandemic operations to normal operations that include more nutritious food.
"Nutritious school meals give America’s children the foundation for successful, healthy lives," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said, according to the press release. "We applaud schools’ heroic efforts throughout the challenges of this pandemic to continue serving kids the most nutritious meals possible. The standards we’re putting in place for the next two school years will help schools transition to a future that builds on the tremendous strides they’ve made improving school meal nutrition over the past decade."
Transitional standards will begin in the school year 2022-2023 and will run through the school year 2023-2024.
USDA is also working with school meal partners to establish long-term, sustainable nutrition standards that will begin in the school year 2024-2025.
"These transitional standards are step one of a longer-term strategy to lean into the school meal programs as a crucial part of improving child health," Vilsack said. "Over the coming months and years, USDA will work closely with its school meal partners to develop the next iteration of nutrition requirements. We’ve got to find the right balance between standards that give our kids the best chance at a healthy future based on the latest nutrition science, and ensuring those standards are practical, built to last, and work for everyone."
