Junk this bad policy

Sonny Perdue, the new U.S. secretary of agriculture, has made his first big policy change: rolling back former first lady Michelle Obama’s healthy schoollunch standards.

The Agriculture Department released an interim final rule postponing further sodium reductions for the national school-lunch program for at least three years.

The announcement also and they’ve largely adapted allows schools to opt out of without enduring any longterm serving products rich in negative financial impacts. whole grains, and to serve 1 percent chocolate and Politically, the healthy strawberry milk. Previously, standards are also popular schools were required with parents. And contrary to carry only nonfat to Perdue’s argument about milk options. food waste, researchers

Perdue said the change found that kids in the program was so schools would have are actually eating more flexibility. He also said more fruits and vegetables. he didn’t think the kids Given the nation’s problems were eating the healthier with obesity and options. weight-related health conditions,

“If kids aren’t eating the there’s every argument food, and it’s ending up in to be made for the trash, they aren’t getting

strengthening, rather than any nutrition,” Perdue said

weakening, the lunch standards. in a statement. One in every three Nutrition experts greeted

American children is on the announcement with

track to have diabetes, a consternation, and with

chronic condition that creates good cause.

The healthy school-lunch plenty of individual law for which Obama lobbied suffering and has huge so hard required the costs for public health. national school-lunch program Los Angeles Unified, the to use recommendations nation’s second-largest public from the Institute of school district, already Medicine. has said it plans to stick

They pushed schools to with its healthier menu offer children a wider range plan. In the health-conscious of fruits and vegetables, Bay Area, this decision more whole-grain foods, shouldn’t be difficult, less meat and less sodium. either. We urge Bay Area

By all measures, the law school districts to maintain is working. About 99 percent the current standards. of U.S. schools are at Food is political; the least partially compliant health of our children with the new standards, shouldn’t be.