Flexibility is touted in changing rules on school nutrition

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration Friday took a step toward dismantling Michelle Obama’s school nutrition guidelines, proposing a rule that could lead to more pizza and fries, less fruit and a smaller variety of vegetables on school menus.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, who announced the rule changes on Obama’s birthday, said they were needed to give schools more flexibility and reduce waste while still providing nutritious and appetizing meals.

But child nutrition advocates saw it differently.

“What a shameless, embarrassing capitulation to lobbyists at the expense of American children and their well-being,” said Sam Kass, who served as executive director of Obama’s “Let’s Move” campaign to combat child obesity. “This country — and its kids — deserve so much better.”

Gay Anderson, president of the School Nutrition Association, said that while the nutrition standards had been a success overall, some requirements led to reduced participation in the program, higher costs and waste.

“USDA’s school meal flexiblities are helping us manage these challenges and prepare nutritious meals that appeal to diverse student tastes,” Anderson said in a statement.

The school meals program serves about 30 million students, most fom low-income families.

Under the proposal, schools would be allowed to cut the amount of certain types of vegetables served at lunch, and legumes offered as a meat alternative also could be counted as part of the vegetable requirement. Potatoes could be served as a vegetable.

The proposal would reduce the amount of red and orange vegetables that would have to be offered every day at lunch. For breakfasts taken to go, fruit servings could be reduced from a cup to half a cup.