The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced it is improving school meals in the U.S. through various initiatives such as gradual updates to school meal standards and investing in small and rural school districts.

The USDA initiatives align with the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health and were released at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health in 2022, according to a Feb. 3 news release.

“Our commitment to the school meal programs comes from a common goal we all share – keeping kids healthy and helping them reach their full potential,” USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in the release.

Vilsack proposed updates to school meal standards based on the latest nutrition science to promote healthier meals for children, the release reported. The updates will take into consideration input from various groups and coincide with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The standards are set by USDA to ensure good nutrition for kids and research shows that school meals improve their overall nutrition.

The updates will include on limiting added sugars, reducing sodium limits, focusing on primarily whole grains products and allowing flavored milk in certain circumstances, according to the release.

“Many children aren’t getting the nutrition they need, and diet-related diseases are on the rise,” Vilsack said in the release. “Research shows school meals are the healthiest meals in a day for most kids, proving that they are an important tool for giving kids access to the nutrition they need for a bright future. We must all step up to support child health if we are to achieve the Biden-Harris administration's goal of ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases by 2030.”

In addition to the meal updates, USDA will invest $30 million to provide small and rural schools with grants of up to $150,000 to enhance the nutritional quality of school meals, the release reported.