Source: SolStock / Getty
NATIONWIDE — The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on Wednesday the steps they plan on taking to promote health through school meals. These steps, which will be implemented in the coming years, include the first ever limit on added sugars, reductions in sodium content, and the ability for schools to source more foods locally.
Most of these updates to school meals will be implemented between the Fall of 2025 and Fall of 2027. The changes were made after the USDA listened to public feedback and using science-based recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The new rules are part of the Biden-Harris administration’s effort to reduce diet-related diseases by 2030.
The updates to nutrition standards are as follows:
– Added Sugars will be limited in school meals starting by Fall of 2025. Research showed that it was most common in breakfast items like cereals and yogurts, which will start to be limited. New limits on added sugars will also be added to flavored and non-flavored milk products.
– Schools will need to “slightly reduce” the sodium content in their meals by Fall of 2027. The amount was not listed in the press release, however it notes that the decision was based off prior rulings agreed upon in 2017 and 2018.
– Starting in Fall of 2024 schools will will begin to offer more protein-rich breakfast options like yogurt, tofu, eggs, nuts, and seeds in addition to having more vegetarian options.
– Next year schools will have the option to require unprocessed agricultural products to be locally grown, raised, or caught. In Fall of 2025 there will be limits on the percent of non-domestic grown and produced foods that schools can purchase in an effort to boost the role of American farmers.
