14 Colorado districts opt out of NSLP’s grain requirement

Fourteen Colorado school districts requested and received state waivers permitting them to opt out of the required 100 percent whole-grains rule in the National School Lunch Program.

The waivers were the only ones allowed under the federal plan, reports The Denver Post. 

Beth Wallace, nutrition director for the Cherry Creek School District, and president of the Colorado School Nutrition Association, also expressed her concerns about the required sodium mandate with The Post. 

“Current sodium levels are similar to therapeutic diet levels for heart patients, so we already have very restrictive diets. Why do we need to keep going lower?” 

The School Nutrition Association has been lobbying Congress for some time now on such matters as whole grain, sodium and a la carte requirements, and is requesting that schools be able to decide whether students should have to take one of the fruits and vegetables offered with every meal.

The SNA also wants a 35-cent increase in the federal reimbursement for school meals.

It’s been nearly two months now since Congress failed to reauthorize the National School Lunch Program and a new markup of the bill is expected sometime in December.

Last month, FoodService Director reported that leaders from the Senate Agriculture Committee were almost finished with legislation that would reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act.

Related:Industry groups refute low-sodium requirements in NSLP

Check out the Colorado district’s full story via The Denver Post.