If you remember what grade school was like, I’m sure that you remember your lunch period. While it’s known that some parents pack their child a lunch to bring to school, many often buy their food from the school cafeteria, while others go hungry because their parents might not be able to afford to pay for their meal(s). First of all, no child should ever go hungry, and secondly, all of our children should have access to healthy and nutritious foods at school and out of school. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 aims to ensure exactly the latter!
If you’re asking why this bill is groundbreaking, just take a look at some of its highlights:
• National Nutrition standards for all food sold in schools.
• $40 million for a Farm-to-School initiative to create school gardens and bring locally grown foods into cafeterias.
• Thousands of more children automatically eligible for free and reduced price school meals (including Foster children), and huge program expansion of afterschool meals for At-Risk Youth.
• $4.5 billion in New Nutrition Funding for Children (over 10 years)
With childhood hunger on the rise in the United States, this act is an important measure on many parts, as it not only will provide hungry children with food, but education about eating healthy and having those healthy choices available at school. There are also many studies that show a clear link between childhood obesity and the consumption of foods saturated with fat and sugar-sweetened beverages.
If we want our children to stay healthy, to be well fed, and to be able to function in and out of school, it’s clear that the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is a much needed step towards achieving this.
Click here to learn more about the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.
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