School meal rules that were designed to contest childhood obesity by reining in calories and portion sizes, but only seemed to arouse complaints about students going hungry has now been permanently relaxed , U.S. regulators said
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had initially loosened the rules in late 2012, suspending daily and weekly maximum amounts for grains and meat or meal alternatives. That allowed school districts to service larger portions without penalty, Reuters reported.
"Earlier this school year, USDA made a commitment to school nutrition professionals that we would make the meat and grain flexibility permanent and provide needed stability for long-term planning. We have delivered on that promise," Kevin Concannon, USDA undersecretary for food, nutrition and consumer services, said in a statement.
North Dakota Republican Senator John Hoeven, who introduced a bill with Arkansas Democratic Senator Mark Pryor to make the changes permanent, welcomed the news of the announcement.
"Today, the USDA made the permanent changes we have been seeking to the School Lunch Program," Hoeven said in a statement. "A one-size-fits-all approach to school lunch left students hungry and school districts frustrated with the additional expense, paperwork and nutritional research necessary to meet federal requirements. These are exactly the changes included in our Sensible School Lunch Act."
Initially adopted in 2012 as part of a law designed to improve school breakfasts and lunches, the modifications were aimed at limiting fat and salt, reducing portion sizes and increasing fruit and vegetable servings, according to Reuters.
Free or low-cost school lunches are received by some 31 million children in the U.S., with more than 10 million getting free or discounted breakfasts.
Schools are an important focus because they provide meals to many low-income students, considered to be often the most at risk for being overweight or obese, Reuters reported.
