Florida agency helps schools set nutrition standards

TAMPA, Fla. — Although a number of school districts around the U.S. have abandoned new United States Department of Agriculture meal pattern nutritional guidelines because students have loudly rejected the notion of healthier food, Florida has led the way in successfully promoting the idea that better food leads to better performance in the classroom.

Updated guidelines for the USDA meal program that took effect in 2012 set basic nutritional standards for school lunch and snack programs and focused on improving the nutrition levels of all food sold on school campuses.

For example, last year, a requirement was added that a fruit or vegetable be placed on a child’s tray to make the meal reimbursable under the national school lunch program.

The key change this year is a requirement, for the first time, that all grain items be whole grains, which USDA defines as having at least 51 percent whole grain content.

The USDA guidelines also place limits on sodium levels, total calories of a snack item, and the percentage of calories that can come from saturated fat.

“With the new guidelines from the federal government, other states have actually seen a decline in participation, which can be financially devastating to a school lunch program because they are run as not-for-profit operations that are independent of the school district’s budget,” said Robin Safley, director of the division of food, nutrition and wellness as Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. “So doing things that highlight nutrition and actually get parents and children to embrace the new guidelines helps maintain and increase participation. And we’ve been able to do that quite successfully in Florida.”

Last year, Safley said, more than seven million additional meals were served in the state’s schools.

One reason for the ongoing success: Florida was well ahead of the curve on the