The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 became law this month. This reauthorization of the federal school nutrition program includes a number of elements that will help move the needle on childhood obesity. The Act recognizes the importance of school meals to the health and academic success of kids and gives school nutrition programs new responsibilities and resources to bring more fresh produce, whole grains and low-fat dairy products into school cafeterias. More than 31 million school kids participate in the National School Lunch Program and 11 million qualify for the School Breakfast Program. Many children get ½ of their daily calories at schools, making this program a great leverage point to improve nutrition for kids by placing more rigorous nutrition standards on the foods that are served in the program.
We were actually able to get elements of our childcare Empower Pack included in the new law. When the Request For Information came out several months ago we turned in our Empower program as a best practice and it ended up being included in Section 222 of the Act. That part of the law directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and Health and Human Services to develop programming that encourages state licensing agencies to include wellness criteria within state licensing standards to ensure that licensed and regulated child care centers and family child care homes provide physical activity opportunities, limit screen time and offer food consistent with the healthy meals patterns and nutrition standards.
Thank You for this information, here in mexico we have
the first place in child obesity, i hope this will be
controlled and avoided.
Best Regards
This Act, is a good way to start on 2011, very helpful and the parents became contented, that they cannot worrying their children in school on what they going to eat.
Parents need this for there children, children need to eat healthy or else they will get so used to eating junk. It’s unhealthy what some schools offer at times.
Thanks for the recommendations shared in your blog. Something else I would like to convey is that weight reduction is not all about going on a celebrity diet and trying to get rid of as much weight as you can in a set period of time. The most effective way to lose weight naturally is by getting it gradually and using some basic points which can provide help to make the most from the attempt to drop some weight. You may understand and already be following some of these tips, nonetheless reinforcing understanding never affects.