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IOM committee releases revisions to school meal program recommendations
The IOM convened a committee to provide recommendations to revise current standards and recommendations for school meals at the request of the United States Department of Agriculture. The committee recommends that the USDA adopt standards for menu planning that:
- Increase the amount and variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
- Set a minimum and maximum level of calories.
- Increase the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat and sodium provided.
The committee also developed two options for the standard of selection of meals by the student. Both options now indicate that in order for a meal to be reimbursable, the student must select a fruit at breakfast and either a fruit or vegetable at lunch.
Further, the committee increased the number of recommended nutrients from eight to 24, and replaced Nutrition Standards with Nutrient Targets — not intended to be used as specific requirements for menu planning or to monitor menus. Nutrient Targets encompass 24 nutrients and other dietary components as guidelines to determine the amount and type of food groups offered to students.
The committee also created new monitoring procedures to guide implementation efforts. Recommended support from the Food and Nutrition Service included:
- Technical assistance for developing and continuously improving menus.
- Ordering appropriate foods and controlling costs while maintaining quality.
- New procedures for monitoring the quality of school meals that focus on meeting relevant Dietary Guidelines and provide information for continuous quality improvement and for mentoring food service workers to assist in performance improvement.
In 2007, the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs provided lunch to more than 30.5 million children and breakfast to 10.1 million children. If these IOM recommendations are implemented, it may result in school meals that are more appealing to students and also meet students’ nutritional needs. – by Jennifer Southall
PERSPECTIVE
The American Heart Association strongly supports the recommendations from the just-released IOM report to redefine the nutrition standards for foods sold in school breakfast and lunch programs. The report addresses several key areas we advocate for on the federal, state and local levels and is supported by the association’s Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations, which includes increasing the amount and variety of fruits, vegetables and whole grains; setting a minimum and maximum level of calories; and focusing more on reducing saturated fat and sodium. The association is pleased that IOM’s recommendations have been provided to the USDA in an effort to improve the nutrition environment in our nation’s schools. We are advocating strongly for quick implementation of these standards within the Child Nutrition Promotion and School Lunch Protection Act to strengthen nutritional standards for drinks and snacks sold in school vending machines and school stores. There have been recent impressive reductions in access to high-sugar beverages but more needs to be done. We continue to work with states to pass and implement effective local wellness policies across the country that include strong provisions for nutrition education and promotion.
– Clyde Yancy, MD
President, American Heart Association
