The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently proposed updated nutrition standards for snack foods and beverages sold in schools, the first update in more than 30 years.
The guidelines would ensure that when kids make choices about snacks and drinks at school—whether in the cafeteria à la carte line, school stores, or at vending machines—the options they have are healthy. More than 200,000 people showed their support during USDA's public comment period.
Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, provided input on the standards, noting that “with more than 23.5 million children and adolescents in the United States overweight or obese, we need strong nutrition standards for all foods and beverages sold in schools.”
