Dr. Mollie Grow and Dr. Peter G. Lurie: Updated school meals will have lifelong benefits for Washington students

By Dr. Mollie Grow and Dr. Peter G. Lurie

Imagine a public health intervention that every day could reach more than 30 million U.S. schoolchildren, mostly from low-income families, with a science-based program shown to improve long-term health outcomes and academic success.

This is no fantasy: The National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program have existed since the 1940s and 1960s, respectively. These programs have demonstrated track records in providing children and teens with healthy, balanced meals that set them up for academic success and healthier eating habits.

Now, with important updates to the school lunch standards poised to be implemented by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) this April and over $100 million in federal funds set aside to help implement the changes, we have a once-in-a-decade opportunity to make school meals more nutritious and available. And not a moment too soon; research tells us that children who consume excess sodium and added sugars (which are present in many school meals) are at risk of elevated blood pressure and heart disease. Meanwhile, healthy eating can reduce children’s risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and more.

We know the standards work; now it’s time to update them and bring them closer to what current science tells us is best for kids’ health. The revised nutrition standards are a natural next step for the 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, which significantly improved the nutritional quality of school meals. Recent research has found that without the most recent revisions to the nutrition standards, obesity rates among children living in poverty would have been 47% higher. Even better, student participation in school lunches is higher in schools that serve healthier meals.

The proposed revisions would align school nutrition standards more closely with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Under the proposal, school nutrition programs would be required to reduce sodium gradually (for an overall reduction of 30% by fall 2029). For the first time, there is also an added sugar requirement such that by fall 2027, the amount of added sugars could be no more than 10% of total calories. These revisions are a decade in the making, informed by more than 100,000 public comments.

The good news is that many school districts in Washington state are already serving meals that comply with the new standards. From whole grain breakfast bread with Washington blueberries in Ellensburg public schools to Washington apple yogurt parfaits in Colville public schools, school nutrition directors across the state are incorporating healthy, local, culturally significant ingredients in cafeterias. Companies already offer schools an array of products that align with the new standards, including lower-added-sugar yogurts, whole grain-rich products, and lower-sodium sandwiches. However, there is still work to be done to make the updated standards even stronger so that they align completely with the DGA recommendations for sodium and whole grains.

Although the updated standards are small steps with built-in flexibilities, many schools will need help to put the standards into practice. Fortunately, federal grants from USDA and state funds are available for schools to connect with local food providers, upgrade their facilities, hire additional staff, and more. For example, the Washington state legislature committed $5 million in grants for schools developing farm-to-school programs. Smaller school districts may welcome grant writing and grant management support from community volunteers or their Educational Service District to ensure access to financing is not a barrier to delivering healthier meals.

Keeping the best interests of students at the forefront of decision-making will be critical for advocates and policymakers. At a time when school meals are the primary source of nutrition for more than 50% of American schoolchildren, these important updates would be a win for children’s health.

Mollie Grow, M.D., MPH, FAAP, is a general pediatrician at Seattle Children’s Hospital, professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine and member of the Washington Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Peter G. Lurie, M.D., MPH, is the president and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, an independent, science-based advocacy organization that works to improve how the nation eats.