Feds Want Parents to Serve Healthy Food at Home
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Oct 2, 2012
The federal government wants moms and dads to start serving meals at home that conform to the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
The USDA urged parents to help reinforce the new school guidelines by providing similar meals at dinner time.
“We know that many parents are already making changes at home to help the whole family eat healthier,” the USDA wrote on their official blog. “We recommend reviewing school menus with kids at home and working to incorporate foods that are being served at school into family meals as much as possible.”
Under the new guidelines, school districts must serve more whole grains, daily portions of fruits and vegetables, less sugar and salt and only low-fat or non-fat milk. But the lunches must also meet caloric restrictions. And under the government guidelines, a high school student is not allowed to have more than 850 calories.
“Adapting to the changes may be challenging at first, as students are introduced to new flavors and foods in the cafeteria,” the USDA wrote. “But as you can see there are many ways to make the transition easier.”
The new rules have generated a firestorm of controversy across the nation – with students arguing that it’s not enough food to sustain them through the school day.
Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS) blasted the USDA’s blog posting.
“This is a nanny state,” Huelskamp told Fox News. “Now they want to change everything at home.”
The Kansas lawmaker joined Iowa Rep. Steve King to introduce the “No Hungry Kids Act.” The legislation would repeal the USDA’s rule that created the new, controversial standards.
“Let the school cooks, let the parents, let the school district decide this – not some bureaucrat in the Obama White House,” Huelskamp said. “We all want to see healthier kids, but the program is not working. Now they want to control the home lunch room – the kitchen.”
“We all want to see healthier kids, but the program is not working. That’s why they are trying to force it in the homes.”
Hulkskamp said the Obama administration has gone too far with their plans.
“You have a crowd in Washington that thinks they can make better decisions than parents,” he said. “That is overstepping the limits of what we expect Washington to do.”
Students from coast to coast are rebelling against the Obama policies.
As many as 1,000 students at a New Jersey high school staged a boycott of their cafeteria last week to protest the new lunch guidelines that many teenagers say are leaving them hungry.
Even the company that provides food to the school understands their frustration.
The portions are meager admitted Mark Vidovich, president of Pomptonian Food Service. “I’m afraid I would probably be hungry myself.”
But he said there’s not a thing his company can do about the matter.
“We have a maximum amount of grains and protein we’re allowed to serve and a maximum amount of calories,” he said.
Teenagers at a tiny Kansas school decided to send their own message the President Obama by creating a video parody that showed hungry children collapsing in classrooms while others burn copies of the government regulations.
“The whole purpose was to enhance their nutrition and actually the opposite is happening,” said Huelskamp. “The lunches may be a little bit healthier but if the kids aren’t going to eat it and there aren’t enough calories for the kids, you’re making the problem worse.”
For example, Huelskamp said students are only allowed one and a half ounces of meat. In a beef state like Kansas, he said that just doesn’t work.
“The idea that one and a half ounces of meat is only what they’re going to be given for two or three days a week is simply not enough for a growing kid,” he said.
“Go look in the trash can,” he said. “There is your failed policy.”
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