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Los Angeles (January 25, 2012) -The school meal standards released today are an important step forward, offering real potential to improve the health of millions of children, increase academic achievement, and support our nation’s educational goals. I commend the United States Department of Agriculture for recognizing that Health Happens in Schools.
California has long been a leader in creating healthy school meals, and I’m pleased that our state’s experience helped pave the way for these groundbreaking national standards. In district after district, California has proven not only that schools can serve healthier food at a competitive price, but also that kids will embrace healthier options.
My enthusiasm for these new standards is tempered only by a troubling precedent set last year, when Congress blocked several changes under consideration through a legislative rider. Among other details, this unprecedented intervention allows schools to count plain cheese pizza with tomato sauce as a full vegetable serving—a finding at odds with nutrition science and basic common sense.
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