The Issue
Updated nutrition standards for school meals, put forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, went into effect at the beginning of school year (SY) 2012-13. The updates significantly increased the amount of whole grains, low-fat dairy, fruits, and vegetables in the meals, and set limits for sugars, fats, and sodium.
This brief summarizes data from two of the first studies to investigate students' opinions of the healthier lunches. Researchers surveyed administrators at elementary, middle and high schools about their perceptions of students’ reactions.