Ironically, the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010” leaves kids….hungry. Many children, parents, and teachers across the country are ‘fed up’ with restrictive new regulations. Signed by President Obama in December 2010, the act went in to effect at the beginning of this 2012 school year.
The new legislation limits calorie intake to an average of 550-650 a day for grades K-5, 600-700 for grades 6-8, and 750-850 for grades 9-12. There is no adjustment for height, weight, or physical activity. KidsHealth.org publishes “A Guide to Eating Healthy for Sports” that says active teens require 2000-5000 calories per day to adequately meet their growth and energy needs. According to teachers many students are stashing junk food in their lockers to help fill up during the day, or simply lacking energy to get through the school day and especially sports practices after school.
Another issue is the amount of food being thrown away. A Cornell University study concluded that roughly twice as much food is ending up in the garbage this year over last year. Students are required to take fruits and vegetables even when they don’t plan to eat them, and one local teacher reports that in addition to enormous amounts of waste in the trash, he sees untouched apples lying all over the cafeteria floor at the end of lunch. In a recent ABC report lunch ladies point to the extremely restricted use of salt as the cause for much of the waste. One lunch lady bluntly states, “The first rule of nutrition is that you’ve got to eat something for it to do your body any good.” The bill, of course, comes with an increase in spending. It allocates an additional $4.5 billion dollars for implementation. This money helps cover the increased number of eligible children for school meal programs by 115,000 students, and the USDA’s authorization to provide meals in more after-school programs. Schools often find themselves trying to meet federal requirements they may not support, but because they receive federal funding, are obligated to do so.
Children and parents across the country are fed up with the restrictive new school meal regulations implemented by the Department of Agriculture under the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010,” which has long been touted by first lady Michelle Obama. The standards — which cap meal calories at 650 for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, at 700 calories for middle school students and 850 for high school students — also dictate the number of breads, proteins, vegetables and fruits children are allowed per meal. A spokeswoman for Kansas Republican Rep. Tim Huelskamp, who earlier this month introduced legislation to roll back the new standards, told The Daily Caller that Huelskamp’s office has heard more complaints about the issue during the past few weeks than any other.
“I think the Bates Elementary lunch ladies are doing a good job of serving healthy, but still pretty tasty meals. My 6’5 junior in high school comes home starving everydayevery day, however,” said Marjean Swanson
“The portion control thing is a little odd!! At our school the ninth graders are served larger portions simply because they are ninth graders. If you ask me, they need to take into account the activity levels of the kids not just the age. For example a really athletic kid might need 4,000-6,000 calories a day whereas a non-athletic kid doesn’t. Bigger portions shouldn’t be determined by age alone. It’s a little misguided if you ask me,” said Jennifer Duke
“My only issue is: my 5th grader comes home starving,” said Amanda Brady
