Since 2010, when the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act became a law, school lunch programs have improved the nutritional quality of the meals served. Many changes have been made in Federal regulations and in individual school districts to ensure that students receive healthy meals and form healthy eating habits in an effort to prevent obesity and diabetes as well as many other weight related health problems. The requirements for the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act were implemented into United States school systems in the 2012-2013 school year with the United States Federal Register stating: “A forthcoming study suggests that reducing dietary salt in adolescents could yield substantial health benefits by decreasing the number of teenagers with
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Canned fruits and vegetables, contrary to belief, have the almost the exact same amount of nutrients as their fresh counterparts. Salt and sugar levels can be controlled by providing the little-to-no salt vegetable options and 100% fruit juice or water packed fruit options(It All Matters!). Barbara Klein, Ph.D., Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois, and Rhonda Kaletz, M.S. of the University of Illinois confirm in their study Nutrient Conservation in Canned, Frozen, and Fresh Foods: “Due to the minimal deleterious[harmful] oxygen during storage, the nutrients in canned and frozen fruits remain relatively stable for consumption”(“Know the …show more content…
Reimbursement is the money that the government gives back to the school for each free, reduced, and paid lunch(4109). For a meal to be reimbursable, according to Gayle Hervey, a student must have either a fruit or a vegetable on her tray, and at Van Buren, if a student does not have a fruit or vegetable, the cooks make her go back and get one. However, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service: “By law, children in high school must be permitted to decline lunch items they do not intend to eat . . . this means that high school children may decline as many as two of the five items . . . ”(School Meals FAQs 2). So, if a student has at least three of the meal components, she does not have to take a fruit or vegetable if she does not intend to eat
Canned fruits and vegetables, contrary to belief, have the almost the exact same amount of nutrients as their fresh counterparts. Salt and sugar levels can be controlled by providing the little-to-no salt vegetable options and 100% fruit juice or water packed fruit options(It All Matters!). Barbara Klein, Ph.D., Professor of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois, and Rhonda Kaletz, M.S. of the University of Illinois confirm in their study Nutrient Conservation in Canned, Frozen, and Fresh Foods: “Due to the minimal deleterious[harmful] oxygen during storage, the nutrients in canned and frozen fruits remain relatively stable for consumption”(“Know the …show more content…
Reimbursement is the money that the government gives back to the school for each free, reduced, and paid lunch(4109). For a meal to be reimbursable, according to Gayle Hervey, a student must have either a fruit or a vegetable on her tray, and at Van Buren, if a student does not have a fruit or vegetable, the cooks make her go back and get one. However, according to the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service: “By law, children in high school must be permitted to decline lunch items they do not intend to eat . . . this means that high school children may decline as many as two of the five items . . . ”(School Meals FAQs 2). So, if a student has at least three of the meal components, she does not have to take a fruit or vegetable if she does not intend to eat