“Families continue to struggle with high food costs,” said Gromley. “It’s vital that we continue to expand access to free or reduced-price school meals.”
Contact: Ryan Flaherty, rflaherty@strength.org
4/24/24, WASHINGTON, DC — Today, USDA released the final rule updating its school nutrition standards. The changes made will align school meals with the goals of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The following is a statement from Jason Gromley, Senior Director of Government Relations and Advocacy for Share Our Strength and its No Kid Hungry campaign:
“Food continues to be the most important school supply, and for many students school meals are the most nutritious food they’ll receive all day. The school lunch and breakfast programs do so much more than fill empty stomachs. They set students up for success by ensuring they have the energy needed to learn and grow.
“We commend USDA for balancing the updated standards to reflect the Dietary Guidelines while also recognizing the challenges school nutrition professionals face. We appreciate the additional flexibilities provided by phasing in the requirements over several years, allowing additional cultural and Indigenous foods, and creating new leadership pathways for qualified nutrition staff members.
“Families continue to struggle with high food costs, and it’s vital that we continue to expand access to free or reduced-price school meals which help fill a crucial gap, allowing parents to stretch their grocery budgets each month.
“No Kid Hungry will continue to work closely with its partners in schools, the food industry, and USDA to ensure more students are able to access these nutritious meals.”
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About No Kid Hungry
No ensure child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty.