Breaking News: Nearly All U.S. School Districts Step Up to Meet Updated Nutrition Standards

New signs of healthy school progress: A recent survey from the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project reports that 94% of school districts are expected to meet the updated federal nutrition standards for lunches by the end of the 2012-2013 academic year. The new nutrition standards require schools to offer more produce, whole grains and low-fat or nonfat dairy products, and educators have come up with innovative ways to serve and get kids excited about the healthier options.

We’ve seen examples of schools across the country holding cafeteria taste tests to get kids involved in the transition to healthier dishes, planting vibrant gardens to engage students in the growing process, and incorporating healthy foods into already familiar dishes. The Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project also noted a couple operational changes schools are making in order to comply with the standards, like creating more dishes from “scratch” with fresh ingredients and sharing healthy recipes across school districts.

Yet, the operational changes have created new challenges for school districts, including the need for:

• More and updated cooking equipment to prepare “scratch” meals on-site
• More space to store fresh ingredients
• More hours for cafeteria staff to prepare the meals
• More training for school food service staff

Despite these roadblocks, school districts are making the necessary changes to meet the federal nutrition standards and build a healthier school environment for all students.  

Has your school faced challenges or achieved successes meeting the updated nutrition standards? Tweet us @BagtheJunk, write on our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below. 

Photo credit: USDAgov via Flickr http://bit.ly/16EBSnO