Schools to serve more-nutritious meals under new guidelines

This is good news for parents. I wish there was a way to limit certain food items as well. For example, my son loves mashed potatoes. He gets mashed potatoes every day. It would be great if the computer system would make a sound after 2 or 3 days of mashed potatoes so to limit his intake. But oh well, I will keep hoping...

School cafeterias will be serving more-nutritious meals with twice as many fruits and vegetables, more whole grains and less sodium and fat under new guidelines that will revamp the federally backed school meals program for the first time in 15 years.

The meals will continue to include pizza and french fries because Congress, after heavy lobbying from the food industry, derailed the Obama administration’s original plan to limit tomato paste and starchy vegetables such as potatoes.

Even so, consumer groups hailed the changes as a major improvement over the current standards, echoing remarks by first lady Michelle Obama when she unveiled the new nutrition rules Wednesday at Parklawn Elementary School in the Alexandria section of Fairfax County.

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