CDC School Lunches, Public school kids are getting healthier lunches. So says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which investigated school data from 2000, 2006 and 2014.
They were looking to see if the changes to school lunches that the Department of Agriculture mandated in 2012 were really making an impact — and they are.
That's important because up to half of calories that kids consume each day are at school.
"Most U.S. youth do not meet national recommendations for having a healthy diet, including consuming sufficient amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; this can put them at risk for weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and other diseases," the researchers wrote. Childhood obesity numbers have more than tripled since the 1970s.
But today's public school lunches are lower in sodium, have more fruits and vegetables, and are more likely to pack whole grains.
Nearly every school studied offered whole grains for breakfast and lunch, and the majority offered two or more of both fruits and vegetables each day at lunch.
In 2000, 62% of schools offered two or more vegetables per meal and 68% offered two or more fruits. In 2014, those numbers were nearly 80% and 78%, respectively.
And stereotypical "junk food" items like hot dogs, soda and chips are getting slight makeovers — turkey hot dogs, baked potato chips and unsweetened beverages are on today's menus.
But only half of schools took full aim at lowering salt — like switching from canned veggies to frozen and fresh ones, and using lower-sodium ingredients. About 90% of American kids eat more sodium than recommended, the CDC said.
Schools could also improve by getting better kitchen equipment and setting up salad bars — only one-third of schools did so.
But kids aren't really lining up for new healthier foods, another recent study showed. Researchers from the University of Vermont said this week that kids toss 56% more food than before the 2012 changes, especially fruits and vegetables they're forced to take them at lunch.
They were less likely to reject a food that came in a pre-portioned package, like a pack of baby carrots, said study author Sarah Amin. Kids just may prefer a ready-to-eat option, she told NBC News.
They were looking to see if the changes to school lunches that the Department of Agriculture mandated in 2012 were really making an impact — and they are.
That's important because up to half of calories that kids consume each day are at school.
"Most U.S. youth do not meet national recommendations for having a healthy diet, including consuming sufficient amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains; this can put them at risk for weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and other diseases," the researchers wrote. Childhood obesity numbers have more than tripled since the 1970s.
But today's public school lunches are lower in sodium, have more fruits and vegetables, and are more likely to pack whole grains.
Nearly every school studied offered whole grains for breakfast and lunch, and the majority offered two or more of both fruits and vegetables each day at lunch.
In 2000, 62% of schools offered two or more vegetables per meal and 68% offered two or more fruits. In 2014, those numbers were nearly 80% and 78%, respectively.
And stereotypical "junk food" items like hot dogs, soda and chips are getting slight makeovers — turkey hot dogs, baked potato chips and unsweetened beverages are on today's menus.
But only half of schools took full aim at lowering salt — like switching from canned veggies to frozen and fresh ones, and using lower-sodium ingredients. About 90% of American kids eat more sodium than recommended, the CDC said.
Schools could also improve by getting better kitchen equipment and setting up salad bars — only one-third of schools did so.
But kids aren't really lining up for new healthier foods, another recent study showed. Researchers from the University of Vermont said this week that kids toss 56% more food than before the 2012 changes, especially fruits and vegetables they're forced to take them at lunch.
They were less likely to reject a food that came in a pre-portioned package, like a pack of baby carrots, said study author Sarah Amin. Kids just may prefer a ready-to-eat option, she told NBC News.
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