USDA lets mandate veg lunch for kids

[Guest guest]

Many children do not consume animal products due to ethical, cultural, and

religious

practices, as well as food allergies and intolerances. An increasing number of

students

cannot take full advantage of federal nutrition programs, including the National

School

Lunch Program, because plant-based options are not always available. PCRM is

asking the

USDA to include these items when the Child Nutrition Act is reauthorized next

year:

Nondairy beverage alternatives should be available and reimbursable without a

note

wherever cow's milk is provided. Offering all students a nutritious nondairy

beverage will

reduce saturated fat consumption and increase overall program participation. The

USDA

should appropriately increase reimbursement for nondairy alternatives so that

providing

these options will not be more costly to schools.

Plant-based meal options should be available every day, as trailblazing states

such as

California, Florida, Hawaii, and New York have already required. Whether a

student

consumes a vegetarian diet or chooses an occasional vegetarian meal, experts

agree that

plant-based foods are healthy choices for all children.

Plant-based commodity foods should be readily available to schools. The USDA

should

provide schools with more fresh fruits and vegetables and plant-based entrées to

help

meet the demand for these healthful foods. The USDA and Congress should shift

federal

subsidies so that they support child health rather than agricultural interests.

PCRM joins the American Medical Association and the American Public Health

Association

in asking the USDA to provide healthful vegetarian foods including vegetables,

fruits,

legumes, grains, and nutritious nondairy beverages in schools. Increasing access

to low-

fat, cholesterol-free vegetarian foods will help mitigate the rising prevalence

of obesity

and other chronic diseases.

Click here to comment:

http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main?

main=SubmitComment & o=09000064805f47dd

or fax to 703-305-2879.