USDA Launches Program To Test Impact Of "Direct Certification" For Free School Meals

Schools in six states will use Medicaid data to enroll eligible low-income students in federal meal program; results reported to Congress
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vislack announced today that six states will participate in a pilot program designed to study whether or not "direct certification" makes it easier for children to receive federally funded school meals. During the demonstration projects, run in partnership with USDA's Food and Nutrition Service, eligible low-income children in schools in Alaska, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, New York and Pennsylvania will automatically receive free school meals based on information recorded with Medicaid. The pilots begin on July 1, for the 2012-2013 school year. The Food and Nutrition Service will conduct a formal study to evaluate the effectiveness of the projects, and the results will be published in reports to Congress in 2014 and 2015.

Using Medicaid data to enroll students in the school meal programs will help USDA "streamline operations, reduce payment errors and improve the efficiency of operations at the federal and local level," Sec. Vilsack said.

"At the same time we are ensuring that we deliver healthy meals to more eligible kids so that they have access to the nutrition they need to learn and excel."

The pilot projects are possible thanks to the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, the legislative centerpiece of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign. The passage of the Act "marks the first time that states have been allowed to test" the impact of direct certification, USDA said. The First Lady and Sec. Vilsack unveiled USDA's new nutrition standards for school meals in January. A second set of guidelines, for foods sold in a la carte and vending machines in schools, has not yet been released. These will be released soon, Vilsack said today, during a Senate hearing.

Kentucky and Pennsylvania plan to conduct statewide demonstration projects, while the other states will run their programs "in select locations."

USDA study will estimate the following impacts and report these results to Congress:

*The extent to which direct certification for each demonstration category reaches children who are eligible for free school meals but are not certified to receive them

*The extent to which the projects directly certify eligible children who are enrolled for free school meals based on a household application

*The effect direct certification with the Medicaid program has on federal and state costs, and on participation in the school lunch and breakfast programs.

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Related: Download USDA's Final Nutrition Standard 2012 for School Meals [PDF]; Download Implementation Timeline [PDF]; Download Before And After School Lunch Menu [PDF]

First Lady Michelle Obama And The North Carolina School Lunch Incident

Call it pushback for the boatlads of positive press coverage First Lady Michelle Obama got for the second anniversary celebration of the Let's Move! campaign: Her imaginary role as the Chief of the Food Police has been making internet headlines since Feb. 14th. On that day, Drudge Report featured a story about a North Carolina pre-schooler who had her home-packed lunch replaced with a lunch from her school's cafeteria, ostensibly due to an official deeming it nutritionally unsound. Responses to the story have been ongoing and over the top; this cartoon, sent in by an Obama Foodorama reader, is the latest of many.

This morning, I was on Houston radio host Michael Berry's morning show on KTRH to discuss the North Carolina event, but barely got a word in as Berry and his other guest, a representative of the conservative Cato Institute, blasted the federal government and Mrs. Obama for intruding on parental rights with school lunch standards, which they claimed includes the mandate for officials to "confiscate" home-made lunches. Mrs. Obama was the most high-profile champion for the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010, which updates the federal school nutrition standards. It is the legislative centerpiece of the Let's Move! campaign, but does NOT include any mandates for school, state or federal officials to take away home-made school lunches from students.

North Carolina's The Fayetteville Observer ran a more objective story about the school lunch incident than the one Drudge Report linked to: Replacing the child's lunch of a turkey and cheese sandwich, a banana, potato chips and apple juice with the cafeteria's chicken nugget luncheon was a "mix-up," according to a spokesman for e school. That hasn't stopped the outcry: On Thursday, The National Center for Public Policy Research hosted a “lunch-in” at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC, which featured a "protester" holding a sign that read "Hands off my turkey sandwich." Drudge Report featured a headline linking to that story, too. (Above: The first Feb. 14 Drudge headline about the North Carolina story was massive)

*The creator of the cartoon at top is unknown.

Michelle Obama, Let's Move! Featured In Special Issue Of Scholarly Journal "Childhood Obesity"

First Lady pens the forward for issue devoted to the second anniversary of Let's Move!; Agriculture Secretary is also a contributor...
First Lady Michelle Obama has graced the cover of many magazines since President Obama took office, from Vogue to Better Homes and Gardens to More to the current cover of Prevention. But Mrs. Obama makes her first appearance on the cover of a scholarly journal with the special February edition of the bimonthly Childhood Obesity, devoted to the second anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign. Mrs. Obama wrote the forward for the issue, which is published in print and online. The Editor-in-Chief is David Katz, MD, MPH, a diet book author and the founding Director of Yale University's Prevention Research Center. He provides an opening editorial about Let's Move!. The full issue is available online HERE.

"With the launch of this issue of Childhood Obesity, we have taken another important step forward," Mrs. Obama writes. "In these pages, scholars, policymakers, and health professionals provide valuable insight, commentary, and information on our epidemic of childhood obesity."

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also has a piece in the issue, and writes about the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010, the legislative centerpiece of the Let's Move! campaign. Other contributors include New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, co-chair of the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, who co-authors a piece with Shellie Y. Pfohl, Executive Director of the PCFSN; Stephen Daniels, MD, PhD; Sandra Hassink, MD; Margo Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

The issue includes articles on assessing the value of BMI screening and surveillance in schools; creating environments that support routine physical activity and a healthy lifestyle; after-school obesity prevention programs; nutrition standards for school meals; faith-based advocacy efforts to end childhood obesity; gaming and technology for weight control; and the role of sleep in childhood obesity. There is also a "roundtable discussion" about what is unknown about childhood obesity, industry efforts to help children make healthy food choices, and success stories from the Let's Move! campaign.

The First Lady's Forward:

Let's Move!
Raising A Healthier Generation of Kids

When I first decided to focus on the issue of childhood obesity, I wondered whether it was really possible to make a difference. I knew the conventional wisdom on this issue—particularly when it comes to changing how and what our kids eat. There’s the assumption that kids don’t like healthy food, so why try to feed it to them? There’s the belief that healthy food doesn’t sell as well, so companies will never change the products they offer. There’s the sense that this problem is so big, and so entrenched, that no matter what we do, we’ll never be able to solve it.

Two years later, I am thrilled to report that because of the hard work and leadership of individuals and organizations from every sector of our society, we have begun to change the conversation about childhood obesity in America. Since we launched Let’s Move!, we’ve made significant progress—from providing our kids with healthier food and greater opportunities for physical activity in school and in their communities, to getting families the information they need to make healthier decisions, to ensuring that more people have access to healthy, affordable food.

For example, major food manufacturers are cutting sugar, salt, and fat from their products. Restaurants are revamping their kids’ menus, loading them up with fresher, healthier options. Companies like Walgreens, superValu, Walmart, and Calhoun’s Grocery are committing to build or expand 1500 stores and sell fresh food in underserved communities across this country. Retailers are working to lower the cost of fruits, vegetables, and healthy options. Congress passed historic legislation to provide more nutritious school meals to millions of American children. Schools are growing gardens. More than 1,000 salad bars have been added to school cafeterias. Cities and towns are opening farmers’ markets. Congregations are holding summer nutrition programs for kids. Medical professionals are screening children for obesity and teaching parents how to address it. Consumers have a new icon, MyPlate, to help make healthy choices for their families. Parents are reading those food labels and rethinking the meals and snacks they serve to their kids.

And because we know that physical activity is also critical for keeping kids healthy, people across the country are coming up with innovative ways to help our kids engage in active play every day. schools are starting running clubs and fitness competitions, and teachers are incorporating physical activity into classes ranging from music to math. Communities are keeping high school gyms open on weekends. businesses are supporting youth sports leagues. Faith leaders are starting exercise minis-tries, and faith and community organizations have logged more than 1.5 million walking miles.

And with the launch of this issue of Childhood Obesity, we have taken another important step forward. In these pages, scholars, policymakers, and health professionals provide valuable insight, commentary, and information on our epidemic of childhood obesity. In doing so, they greatly enhance our conversation about this most urgent health challenge for our next generation. We still have a long way to go in solving this problem. But I am confident that with the leadership exemplified by parents, businesses, schools, physicians, and authors like those whose ideas fill these pages, we will solve this problem and give our children the happy, healthy futures they deserve.

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Childhood Obesity bills itself as "the journal of record for all aspects of communication on the broad spectrum of issues and strategies related to weight management and obesity prevention in children and adolescents." Notes the publisher, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc: "The Journal is in collaboration with the American Association of Diabetes Educators, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the American Academy of Family Physicians."

*CLICK HERE for all posts about the second anniversary of Let's Move!.

USDA Hires National Director For Farm To School Program

On the heels of unveiling new federal standards to make America's school lunches healthier, which includes doubling the amount of fruit and vegetables offered in school cafeterias, the US Department of Agriculture has tapped Deborah Kane (l) as the national director for the "Farm to School" program. Kane has been recognized by the White House as a “Champion of Change” for her work in regional food system development. Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan announced the news on USDA's blog.

Kane will work with the Agricultural Marketing Service, Food and Nutrition Service, and the USDA Farm to School Team, a project of the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative, to promote and expand USDA's Farm to School efforts, Merrigan wrote. Kane will be "overseeing a new farm to school grant program, and continuing to find creative ways to increase schools’ access to local foods," Merrigan

Kane previously worked at the non-profit Ecotrust in Portland, Ore., where she founded and ran Food-Hub.org, an internet site that connected farmers, fisherman, and buyers, including schools, across the Pacific Northwest. She is also the publisher of Edible Portland magazine, a seasonal publication that champions Northwest farmers, ranchers and fishermen on a quarterly basis.

*White House photo

Rachael Ray Dishes On Her Day With First Lady Michelle Obama...And Worries About Paula Deen

Healthy school lunches, exercise, the Super Bowl, White House dating: Exclusive interview with First Lady will air on Wednesday...

By Marian Burros

Rachael Ray, talk show host and cook, couldn’t stop talking. From her interview with Michelle Obama, set to air on Feb. 1, to her anxiety about fellow chef Paula Deen, there was no dead air when Obama Foodorama caught up with her last week. Ray still hadn’t come down from her high after an appearance on Wednesday morning with the First Lady at Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, VA, where Mrs. Obama unveiled the new federal regulations that put more fruits and vegetables and whole grains in school meals, while removing some of the sugar, fat and sodium. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack was on hand for the long-awaited announcement, too. (Above: Mrs. Obama and Ray eat lunch with the Parklawn kids)

“There’s no more pleasurable way to spend the day than what I did,” Ray said.

Mrs. Obama gave Ray a shout out as she unveiled USDA's new standards: “I want to give a special hello to Rachael Ray, who’s a special guest here. She has been a true advocate on this issue for quite some time, and we're just thrilled that she's here with us today.”

Later, Mrs. Obama described the Southwestern showcase lunch she enjoyed in the school's cafeteria, made with Ray's recipes, as “nice and well prepared.”

Or in Ray's words, Yum-O. Mrs. Obama, Ray, and the Secretary sat down with 200 plus second and fourth graders to feast on ground turkey tacos with black beans and corn salad, brown rice, and fresh fruit and milk. And to add a little icing to the cake, Vilsack asked Ray for the taco recipe. She also joined the Secretary for a special conference call with reporters.

“It feels like a vacation," Ray said. "Because there’s good food and the joy of the First Lady coming and sitting down here and Sec. Vilsack and the kids and enjoying what will be part of the new school lunch. I love to be able to work with schools and add flavor like ground coriander and improve the kids’ palates.”

Ray interviewed Mrs. Obama in the school's library, sitting on child-sized chairs with a background of books. Ray was last at the White House in June of 2010, when she joined Mrs. Obama for the launch of the Chefs Move to Schools project. Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass and Second Lady Jill Biden have both appeared on Ray's show.

"Mrs. Obama chatted about how excited she is about coming up on the second year" of the Let’s Move campaign, Ray said. “About the Super Bowl and exercise.”

The First Lady also discussed the dangers of having a teenage daughter who's approaching dating age: Malia Obama turned 13 last July.

"Who should the boys be more afraid of, you or your husband?" Ray asked Mrs. Obama.

Mrs. Obama also told Ray she "absolutely" misses grocery shopping now that she's in the White House.

"That's why I have my little secret Target runs," Mrs. Obama said. One of which happened to be captured on film by a veteran White House photographer who has traveled abroad with Mrs. Obama.

Ray ponders pizza as a vegetable...
Her day with the First Lady had one annoying little cloud for Ray. She said she didn’t understand why so many people insisted on mentioning that Congress had weakened the school lunch regulations by allowing a serving of pizza to be considered a vegetable (because of the tomato paste on it) and insisting that potatoes be allowed on the menu every day--including French fries. (Above: Ray in the lunchline at Parklawn)

“There’s so much good," Ray told Obama Foodorama. "It’s very exciting to see such a major and substantive turn around, seeing all of these great strides come to life.”

“I don’t think we should be focusing on pizza. Whether your opinion is it’s a problem or not a problem, you have to see the large picture: That pizza on the menu will be accompanied by leafy green vegetables."

"The only level playing field we have is the school for attacking hunger and obesity and the subsequent diabetes. Can you image the health care costs for the next generation and we’ve done this to them. There are kids under 10 who are already on diabetes medication. I feel so sorry for them.”

Healthy recipes, promotional deals, and Deen...
Diabetes, cooking show hosts. Paula Deen recently announced she has diabetes, in fact she has had it for three years, and has inked what is reported to be a $6 million deal with pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk to be the spokesperson for Victorza, an injectable diabetes medication. At the same time, Deen continues to promote less-than-healthy recipes, and to make butter, sugar and salt companies richer by touting foods laden with these products.

Ray said she has "no opinion" on Deen's very disconnected value net. But she is worried about Deen.

"I love Paula, I think she has been a hard worker," Ray said. "She loves food and she loves people. I feel very anxious for her. She is going through an anxious time."

"I’ve always loved her I’m sure she’s trying to balance it out for herself in her own home and what she’s going to share with her audience. It must be a very personal thing."

Asked about her own less-than healthy food promotions on her show and website, Ray defended these. On Ray's website, the promotional clip for her interview with Mrs. Obama features advertisements for food and exercise, including one for Twix candy bars.

“On our website we always try to have healthy options though we don’t always think about diabetes on our show," Ray said. "Every day we are not teaching lean, mean cuisine but the food I cook in my own home is balanced. “

On the other hand the Super Bowl is coming.

“I always try to cook for Super Bowl," Ray said. "I don’t like low fat or no fat cheese. I think you should eat a moderate diet. Then you don’t feel so bad if every once in awhile you want a chili dog.”

Or her 7-Layer Chili Dog Dip, which is laden with full-fat sour cream and cheese, as well as hot dogs, chili con carne, beans, and salsa.

"The seven layer--forget it," Ray said, gleeful, by way of enthusing about her signature recipe.

Ray and Alliance for a Healthier Generation...
Ray's school lunch recipes that were served at Parklawn were developed for her work with Alliance for a Healthier Generation, former President Bill Clinton's non-profit foundation with the American Heart Association, created to combat childhood obesity. Mr. Clinton, pounds lighter than when he was in the White House and now a vegan after battling heart disease, is not the type to enjoy 7-Layer Chili Dog Dip. Ray's healthy school lunch recipes are available to schools nationwide, according to the Alliance, and will be used in the National School Lunch Program. (Above: Ray with Vilsack during their conference call)

Mrs. Obama's interview with Ray is part of a TV triple-header this week: She's also appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Jan. 31, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Feb. 2. On Feb. 9, Mrs. Obama kicks off a three-day national tour to celebrate the second anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign with a visit to Des Moines, Iowa.

*Click here for Ray's Parklawn recipes, adapted for home use.

*Top photo by Reuters; second by AP; Vilsack photo courtesy of Rachel Ray

First Lady Michelle Obama Calls On America To Embrace Healthier School Lunch Standards

USDA's new guidelines are part of parents' rights, and will combat sugar highs and eliminate greasy, salty foods from school meals, says First Lady...

By Marian Burros and Eddie Gehman Kohan

Alexandria, Virginia: As she gears up to celebrate the second anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign in February, First Lady Michelle Obama can be satisfied that her efforts to improve America's school lunches are well underway. As the most high-profile champion of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010, the legislation that mandates changes in school nutrition standards, Mrs. Obama on Wednesday unveiled USDA's long-awaited final rule during a visit to Parklawn Elementary School. The event was Mrs. Obama's first Let's Move! outing for 2012, and she hailed it as "a great celebration for us all." (Above: Mrs. Obama dines with kids in Parklawn's cafeteria)

"When we send our kids to school, we have a right to expect that they won’t be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods that we're trying to keep from them when they're at home," Mrs. Obama said. "We have a right to expect that the food they get at school is the same kind of food that we want to serve at our own kitchen tables."

Clad in fitted blue pants, an orange and brown argyle sweater, and a string of pearls, Mrs. Obama made her remarks to a group of parents, teachers and nutrition advocates packed into the school library. She was joined by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and celebrity chef and talk show host Rachael Ray, who provided recipes for a Southwestern-themed lunch to showcase the new guidelines. Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass sat in the audience to watch his boss speak. Mrs. Obama thanked everyone for all the work they've done to encourage better school nutrition standards.

"As parents, we all know that if left to their own devices, many of our kids would eat candy for breakfast, they'd follow it up with a few French fries for lunch and cookies and chips for snacks, and then they’d come home for a big chocolate sundae for dinner, right?" Mrs. Obama said.

Beginning in the Fall of 2012, the new standards will be phased in over the next three years. Students will be offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week, doubling the amount currently offered. After a phase-in period, starting in the 2014-2015 school year, schools must offer only whole-grain products. The new rule limits calories based on age, to ensure proper portion size, and reduces total calories by as much as 225 calories for some age groups. There is an overall focus on reducing saturated fat, trans fats and sodium levels (the sodium reductions will take ten years). Schools may also use tofu as an alternative to meat, according to the rule. Pizza will be available, but it will have lower salt content and it must have a whole grain crust when the rule is in full effect. Milk must be low- or non-fat; flavored milk must be non-fat.

More than 32 million children participate in the National School Lunch Program, according to USDA, and healthier school meals are crucial to academic success, Mrs. Obama said.

"Kids can’t be expected to sit still and concentrate when they’re on a sugar high, or when they’re stuffed with salty, greasy food -- or when they’re hungry," Mrs. Obama said, and noted that the legislation isn't just designed to combat childhood obesity.

"For many kids whose families are struggling, school meals can be their main -- or only -- source of nutrition for the entire day," Mrs. Obama said. "So when we serve higher-quality food in our schools, we’re not just fighting childhood obesity; we’re taking the important steps that are needed to fight child hunger as well."

The new rule, built around recommendations from a federal Institute of Medicine expert panel, and updated with key changes from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, is the first significant change to school nutrition guidelines in 15 years. It comes after USDA received more than 130,000 comments when it unveiled proposed guidelines a year ago--and many complaints have been addressed, USDA said, such as how to offer the increase in fruit and vegetables.

In the coming years, schools that meet the new standards will receive an extra six cents per meal, the first change to the federal reimbursement rate for school meals in 30 years. Schools won't start getting more funding until 2013, but Sam Kass told reporters that this will not dramatically impact efforts to make meals healthier.

"We're seeing schools across the country, by the thousand, who have already met these requirements without additional funds," Kass said.

In her remarks, Mrs. Obama pointed to F.S. Ervin, an elementary school in Pine Hill, Alabama, as one school that has changed its lunch program without additional funding.

"Now, Pine Hall [sic] is a little-bitty town, rural town, with a population under 1,000 and an average household income of less than $26,000," Mrs. Obama said. "But they have made some important changes to their school menu already--things like replacing canned vegetables with fresh or frozen ones, moving in more whole grains, offering plenty of fresh fruit, and even baking their French fries instead of frying them."

"We’re seeing changes like these in schools all across the country, of all sizes -- rural, urban and suburban."

Parklawn is one of the schools that has met those challenges: 60% of the 780 students receive free or reduced-price lunches, and the school has been awarded the Gold with Distinction award in the HealthierUS School Challenge, a USDA program that rewards schools for best-practices in food service and fitness initiatives. Mrs. Obama is actively promoting the HUSC as part of the Let's Move! campaign, and there are now more than 2,000 schools certified. (Above: Mrs. Obama in Parklawn's lunch line)

As she ended her remarks, Mrs. Obama called on everyone to "embrace" the new rule.

"I am asking parents and educators and food service workers across this country to embrace this effort on behalf of our children," she said. "Embrace it. Because we all know that we are some of the best role models for our kids. We are the first and best role models."

New rule is less costly than proposed rule...
The new rule reduces the overall cost of the legislation, compared to USDA's proposed rule. The cost will be $3.2 billion over the next five years, less than half of the proposed standards’ originally estimated cost of $6.8 billion. That's due to two key changes: USDA significantly modified the breakfast meal pattern, including eliminating the daily requirement that meat or a meat alternate be served.

USDA also clarified an “offer-vs-serve” requirement, which enables schools to promote fruits and vegetables, while allowing students to take smaller portions of these, if desired. Under the old guidelines, schools would auto-serve a portion of fruit or vegetables, and a child could not choose what this would be, or how much to take. The change will be phased in over a three-year period, according to USDA, and help eliminate "plate waste."

"It's self-policing" for portion size, according to Kass.

USDA has earmarked $50 million for training and technical support for schools, to ensure that meeting the new guidelines will be achieved. The new standards are strong, despite efforts by Congress to weaken them. In 2011, Congress put the interests of food corporations and lobbyists ahead of child health, and mandated two changes to the nutrition rules: Congress declared that pizza sauce can be counted as a vegetable, and also ensured that white potatoes and other starchy vegetables could be served in unlimited quantities during the school week. The proposed standards had limited potatoes and starchy vegetables, so that dark green and orange vegetables could appear more frequently on lunch trays.

The efforts by Congress didn't hinder anyone's enthusiasm on Wednesday.

"It's a red letter day for kids, and the future of our country," Sec. Vilsack said, and quoted President Obama's State of the Union Address on Tuesday, noting that healthier school meals are crucial for creating "an America built to last."

Margo Wootan, Director of Nutrition Policy at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, was on hand for Mrs. Obama's announcement, and she praised the new guidelines.

"They are really, really good," Wootan said.

Dr. Lorelei DiSogra, vice president of nutrition and health for United Fresh Produce Association, was also on hand. DiSogra has worked tirelessly to match schools with donors for Mrs. Obama's Let's Move Salad Bars to Schools project, which aims to get 6,000 child-sized salad bars into schools in the next two years. She is thrilled with the new standards.

“We are very excited that fruits and vegetables will be the stars of healthier school meals,” DiSogra said. "We support this landmark effort by First Lady Michelle Obama and USDA to create healthier school meals and healthier school food environments for millions of America’s children.”

Rachael Ray's school lunch...
"I'm hungry," Mrs. Obama said twice during her remarks, and afterwards she joined about 220 second and fourth graders in Parklawn's cafeteria to enjoy Ray's showcase luncheon, cooked by cafeteria staff from Ray's recipes. The kids speak 38 different languages, and were seated at tables as Mrs. Obama entered, greeting her with wild cheers, many waving mini American flags. (Above: Mrs. Obama ate turkey tacos with a group of excited students)

Carrying a pink tray, Mrs. Obama moved through the lunch line, followed by Ray and Vilsack.

"This is so nice, and so well prepared," Mrs. Obama said of the menu, which included turkey tacos with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa; Mexican brown rice and whole grain flat bread; a black bean and corn salad, with a serving of mixed fresh fruit--a choice between strawberries, kiwis and orange, or melon and cantaloupe. Of course there was low- or non-fat milk. (Above: Ray in the lunch line)

The First Lady chatted with the kids behind her as they went through the lunch line, asking them what kind of fruit they liked best and whether they like brown rice or white.

"I love brown rice!" Mrs. Obama said. "That's all we eat at home."

After picking up her child-sized bowl of corn salad ("This is the best part -- veggies!"), Mrs. Obama reached the end of the line, only to be confronted with a cash register. The little girl behind her in line told her she needed a "lunch number" to pay for her meal.

"I don't have a lunch number," Mrs. Obama said. She was of course allowed to eat anyway, and proceeded with her young helpers, who showed her where to get a fork and a carton of milk.

Seated at a long rectangular table with 16 kids and one teacher, Mrs. Obama immediately dug into her meal and chatted with the children sitting around her. Vilsack and Ray sat at nearby tables, also surrounded by kids.

First Lady will be on Ray's TV show...
During today's school visit, Ray interviewed the First Lady for her eponymous talk show; the segment will air next week, Ray told Obama Foodorama. A longtime supporter of the First Lady's childhood obesity initiative, Ray joined Mrs. Obama for a special Kitchen Garden Spring Harvest during the huge South Lawn launch for the Chefs Move to Schools project in June of 2010, and also starred in a White House video about Let's Move!, created after the event. Kass cooked healthy treats with Ray on her TV show in September of 2011. (Above: Mrs. Obama in the lunch line; Vilsack is behind her)

Mrs. Obama's appearance on Ray's show will be one of a number of TV outings in the coming weeks: On Jan. 31, as she visits Los Angeles, Mrs. Obama will join Jay Leno on The Tonight Show to discuss the second anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign and her forthcoming gardening book. On February 1, she'll tape The Ellen DeGeneres Show to promote Let’s Move!, and the show will air on Feb. 2. On February 9, Mrs. Obama will formally celebrate the second anniversary of her campaign with an event in Des Moines, Iowa, which will include thousands of kids at the Wells Fargo Arena.

*The full transcript of Mrs. Obama's remarks. USDA's news release about the new rule is here.

Information:
Read: An overview of the Let's Move! campaign.

*Download USDA's Final Nutrition Standard 2012 [PDF]

*Download Implementation Timeline [PDF]

*Download Before And After School Lunch Menu [PDF]

*Download Comparison of Current and New Regulatory Requirements [PDF]

*Download the White House Childhood Obesity Task Force Report [PDF]

*Top photo by Chuck Kennedy/White House; lunchline photos by Bob Nichols/USDA

Transcript: First Lady's Remarks, USDA School Lunch Standards Announcement

First Lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday visited Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, joining Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to unveil the new school meal standards that are part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010. Celebrity chef Rachael Ray provided recipes for a model school lunch cooked by cafeteria staff. A full post about the event is here.

The transcript of Mrs. Obama's remarks:

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the First Lady

_________________________________________
January 25, 2012

REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY
IN SCHOOL LUNCH STANDARDS ANNOUNCEMENT

Parklawn Elementary School
Alexandria, Virginia

11:32 A.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA: Thank you, everyone. Please, sit, rest. This is exciting. It is such a pleasure to be here today. This is an exciting day.

I want to start by thanking Secretary Vilsack, not just for that very kind introduction but for his outstanding work as Secretary of Agriculture. He has been just a major proponent on so many issues that are near and dear to me, and we wouldn't be here without his efforts and the efforts of his entire agency. So, thank you, sir.

I’d also like to thank Principal Akroyd and Jen Fitzgerald for their terrific work and for hosting us here today at Parklawn Elementary School. Go, Panthers! (Laughter.) I hear you're the "purring Panthers." (Laughter.) It's very, very good -- very good. We are so happy to be here and so proud of you all.

And I want to recognize all of the educators, the administrators, the food service workers and the advocates who are here today for everything that you do, every day, on behalf of our kids. This is a great celebration for us all.

And of course, I want to give a special hello to Rachael Ray, who’s a special guest here. I know she's hard at work getting lunch ready, and I am hungry -- (laughter) -- so I'm looking forward to it. But she has been a true advocate on this issue for quite some time, and we're just thrilled that she's here with us today.

And finally, I want to thank all of the parents who are here today -- because, I just want to be clear that we can't make any mistake about it -- this movement to improve the food in our schools is happening in large part because of all of you, the parents. It’s happening because you all stood up. It's happening because you all spoke out and you asked for something better for our kids.

Because, as parents, we all know that if left to their own devices, many of our kids would eat candy for breakfast, they'd follow it up with a few French fries for lunch and cookies and chips for snacks, and then they’d come home for a big chocolate sundae for dinner, right? (Laughter.) And we know that it is our responsibility, as adults, to make sure they don’t do that. So it’s our responsibility to make sure that they get basic nutrition that they need to stay healthy.

And that’s why so many of us try so very hard to prepare decent meals at home, and to limit how much junk food they get at home, and to ensure that they have a reasonably balanced diet. And when we’re putting forth this kind of effort at home -- and many of us are, and it's difficult to do every single day -- it's always a challenge, particularly with tough economic times and not enough time in the day -- but when we’re putting forth these efforts, when we’re doing what we're supposed to do at home, the last thing we want is to have all these hard efforts, all this hard work undone in the school cafeteria.

When we send our kids to school, we have a right to expect that they won’t be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods that we're trying to keep from them when they're at home. We have a right to expect that the food they get at school is the same kind of food that we want to serve at our own kitchen tables.

And let’s be clear, this isn’t just about our kids’ health. Studies have shown that our kids’ eating habits can actually affect their academic performance as well. And I’m sure that comes as no surprise to the educators here today. Anyone who works with kids knows that they need something other than chips and soda in their stomachs if they're going to focus on math and science, right? Kids can’t be expected to sit still and concentrate when they’re on a sugar high, or when they’re stuffed with salty, greasy food -- or when they’re hungry.



And that brings me to another important point. For many kids whose families are struggling, school meals can be their main -- or only -- source of nutrition for the entire day. So when we serve higher-quality food in our schools, we’re not just fighting childhood obesity; we’re taking the important steps that are needed to fight child hunger as well.


And that’s why so many schools across this country have been working so hard to improve the food that they serve to our kids in school. In fact, there are many schools that have been meeting these new standards for years, long before this legislation was passed. Thousands more have made significant improvements, offering their students a whole array of healthy -- and tasty, mind you -- new options.

For example, right here at Parklawn and in schools throughout this district, you all are doing some wonderful things, serving baked chicken tenders instead of frying them -- small things; replacing white rice with brown rice. You're offering all kinds of veggie side dishes, everything from succotash to broccoli, exposing kids to a whole array of wonderful tastes and flavors.


And we’re seeing changes like these in schools all across the country, of all sizes -- rural, urban and suburban. And I’m not just talking about schools in well-off areas with plenty of resources. I’m talking about schools like F.S. Ervin -- it's an elementary school in Pine Hall [sic], Alabama. Now, Pine Hall [sic] is a little-bitty town, rural town, with a population under 1,000 and an average household income of less than $26,000. But they have made some important changes to their school menu already -- things like replacing canned vegetables with fresh or frozen ones, moving in more whole grains, offering plenty of fresh fruit, and even baking their French fries instead of frying them. These are small changes.

And plenty of schools like F.S. Ervin are getting creative in this way. There are schools around the country that are holding taste tests and recipe contests to get kids really involved in the whole change -- give kids a competition and they'll get involved. There are schools that are partnering with farmers and with chefs in their communities, and that's making a difference. They’re making these small, daily changes -- simple things like replacing whole milk with skim milk -- changes that add up over time and it can make a real difference in the life of our kids.

And again and again, schools are finding that when they actually offer these healthier options, kids aren’t just willing to try them, they actually like them. That's the thing, that's the surprising thing. I've been to so many schools across the country where parents see their kids eating fresh vegetables off the vine, kids they say would never try anything, but that's the beauty of children -- they change. They change much easier than we do, and when we give them an opportunity to try something new, they embrace it oftentimes, and they come back for more.

So while budgets are tight right now, there are schools across the country that are showing that it doesn’t take a whole lot of money or resources to give our kids the nutrition they deserve. What it does take, however, is effort. What it does take is imagination. What it does take is a commitment to our children’s futures.

So today, I am asking parents and educators and food service workers across this country to embrace this effort on behalf of our children. Embrace it. Because we all know that we are some of the best role models for our kids. We are the first and best role models. And if kids are like mine, if I'm excited about something, they're excited about it -- right? If we as adults embrace it, the kids will follow suit. They're looking to us to figure out how to make this happen. So if we get pumped up about this effort, get excited, get creative, the kids will follow suit and they will do it with vigor and vim, and they'll be out there out front in a way that we would never expect.

So I want to thank you all once again for all that you do every day on behalf of our children. I’m excited to be here. This is a great day, a wonderful accomplishment. And it's just exciting to be able to highlight the work that's being done here at Parklawn.

So now, as I mentioned, I'm a little hungry. (Laughter.) I understand that I get to hang out with the kids, have a little lunch. And it's turkey tacos! Sounds really good. So with that, I want to thank you all for being here, and we're going to have some lunch.

Thank you all. (Applause.)

END 11:42 A.M. EST
##

Information on the new lunch standards:

Read: An overview of the Let's Move! campaign.

*Download USDA's Final Nutrition Standard 2012 [PDF]

*Download Implementation Timeline [PDF]

*Download Before And After School Lunch Menu [PDF]

*Download Comparison of Current and New Regulatory Requirements [PDF]

*Download the White House Childhood Obesity Task Force Report [PDF]

*Photo by Getty/pool

USDA News Release, New School Meal Standards

First Lady Michelle Obama on Wednesday visited Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, joining Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to unveil the new school meal standards that are part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010. Celebrity chef Rachael Ray provided recipes for a model school lunch cooked by cafeteria staff. A full post about the event is here.

USDA's news release:

USDA Unveils Historic Improvements to Meals Served in America's Schools

New Standards Will Improve the Health and Wellbeing of 32 Million Kids Nationwide

FAIRFAX, Va., Jan. 25. 2012 – First Lady Michelle Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today unveiled new standards for school meals that will result in healthier meals for kids across the nation. The new meal requirements will raise standards for the first time in more than fifteen years and improve the health and nutrition of nearly 32 million kids that participate in school meal programs every school day. The healthier meal requirements are a key component of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which was championed by the First Lady as part of her Let's Move! campaign and signed into law by President Obama.

"As parents, we try to prepare decent meals, limit how much junk food our kids eat, and ensure they have a reasonably balanced diet," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "And when we're putting in all that effort the last thing we want is for our hard work to be undone each day in the school cafeteria. When we send our kids to school, we expect that they won't be eating the kind of fatty, salty, sugary foods that we try to keep them from eating at home. We want the food they get at school to be the same kind of food we would serve at our own kitchen tables."

"Improving the quality of the school meals is a critical step in building a healthy future for our kids," said Vilsack. "When it comes to our children, we must do everything possible to provide them the nutrition they need to be healthy, active and ready to face the future – today we take an important step towards that goal."

The final standards make the same kinds of practical changes that many parents are already encouraging at home, including:

*Ensuring students are offered both fruits and vegetables every day of the week;

*Substantially increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods;

*Offering only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties;

*Limiting calories based on the age of children being served to ensure proper portion size; and

*Increasing the focus on reducing the amounts of saturated fat, trans fats and sodium.

USDA built the new rule around recommendations from a panel of experts convened by the Institute of Medicine —a gold standard for evidence-based health analysis. The standards were also updated with key changes from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans – the Federal government's benchmark for nutrition – and aimed to foster the kind of healthy changes at school that many parents are already trying to encourage at home, such as making sure that kids are offered both fruits and vegetables each day, more whole grains, and portion sizes and calorie counts designed to maintain a healthy weight.

USDA received an unprecedented 132,000 public comments on its proposed standards (available on the web at www.regulations.gov) – and made modifications to the proposed rule where appropriate.

USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon said: "We know that robust public input is essential to developing successful standards and the final standards took a number of suggestions from stakeholders, school food service professions and parents to make important operational changes while maintaining nutritional integrity."

The new standards are expected to cost $3.2 billion over the next five years -- less than half of the estimated cost of the proposed rule and are just one of five major components of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act, now implemented or under development, that will work together to reform school nutrition.

In addition to the updated meal standards, unprecedented improvements to come include:

*The ability to take nutrition standards beyond the lunchline for the first time ever, foods and beverages sold in vending machines and other venues on school campuses will also contribute to a healthy diet;

*Increased funding for schools – an additional 6 cents a meal is the first real increase in 30 years – tied to strong performance in serving improved meals;

*Common-sense pricing standards for schools to ensure that revenues from non-Federal sources keep pace with the Federal commitment to healthy school meals and properly align with costs; and

*Training and technical assistance to help schools achieve and monitor compliance.

The final nutrition standards released today also provide more time for schools to implement key changes, which will be largely phased in over a three-year period, starting in School Year 2012-2013. For example, schools will be permitted to focus on changes in the lunches in the first year, with most changes in breakfast phased in during future years.

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service administers 15 nutrition assistance programs including the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs, the Summer Food Service Program, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Together these programs make up the federal nutrition safety net.
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Information on the new lunch standards:

Read: An overview of the Let's Move! campaign.

*Download USDA's Final Nutrition Standard 2012 [PDF]

*Download Implementation Timeline [PDF]

*Download Before And After School Lunch Menu [PDF]

*Download Comparison of Current and New Regulatory Requirements [PDF]

*Download the White House Childhood Obesity Task Force Report [PDF]

First Lady Michelle Obama Will Unveil New School Nutrition Standards During Virginia Event

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and celebrity chef Rachael Ray will join Mrs. Obama at Parklawn Elementary School to debut long-awaited guidelines...
UPDATE, Jan. 25: CLICK HERE FOR FULL POST ABOUT THE EVENT
First Lady Michelle Obama's first Let's Move! event of 2012 will be on Wednesday, January 25th, when she joins Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to unveil USDA's new nutrition standards for school meals. Improving America's school lunches is one of the five key pillars of Mrs. Obama's childhood obesity campaign, which marks its second anniversary in February. The standards will be unveiled during a visit to Parklawn Elementary School in Alexandria, Virginia, where celebrity chef Rachael Ray, a longtime supporter of Mrs. Obama's campaign, will join the cafeteria staff to cook a model school lunch.

Mrs. Obama and the Secretary will dine on the healthy feast with the kids after making remarks. The nutrition standards are part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act signed into law by President Obama in December of 2010. About 32 million children receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program, which is responsible for up to half of kids' daily calorie intake, according to USDA and the White House. A summary of the Act [PDF].

The First Lady's visit to Parklawn is designed to illustrate that many schools are already providing excellent school lunches for children, even before the new nutrition standard has become law. Parklawn has been recognized by USDA in the HealthierUs School Challenge, a program that rewards schools for best-practices in food and fitness initiatives.

"Mrs. Obama and Secretary Vilsack will see firsthand how schools like Parklawn have undertaken creative efforts to provide healthy food and nutrition education for students ahead of the new standards," the White House said.

USDA notes that "the new standards make the same kinds of changes that many parents are already encouraging at home, including ensuring kids are offered fruits and vegetables every day of the week, substantially increasing offerings of whole grain-rich foods, offering only fat-free or low-fat milk varieties and making sure kids are getting proper portion sizes."

The proposed USDA nutrition rule was unveiled in January 2011, and received more than 130,000 comments during the public comment period. In December of 2011, as Mrs. Obama marked the one-year anniversary of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act becoming law, she vowed to take "bold steps" to ensure the child nutrition legislation is implemented properly.

"As we celebrate the many accomplishments of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act's first year, we also pledge to continue taking bold steps forward to advance this goal," Mrs. Obama said.

Mrs. Obama made her pledge because by the end of 2011, Congress had made two efforts to weaken the new rule, the first significant change to school nutrition standards in more than 15 years. Congress declared pizza sauce a vegetable, and also ensured that white potatoes and other starchy vegetables could be served in unlimited quantities during the school week.

Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass told Obama Foodorama that he believes the new nutrition rule will be strong, despite Congressional interventions.

"In the end the nutrition standards are going to be raised significantly," Kass said. "There will be more resources for schools, and we're going to be well on our way to really dramatically improving school lunch."

Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, will also be at the 11:15 AM event.

In 2010, the White House unveiled a before-and-after school lunch menu, created to show how school meals would change under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.

On January 26th, Mrs. Obama travels to Florida to promote MiPlato, the Spanish-language of USDA's MyPlate icon. She'll also attend two Campaign 2012 fundraisers in Florida. On Feb. 9, Mrs. Obama kicks off a three-day multi-state tour to celebrate the second anniversary of the Let's Move! campaign. Her first stop is in Des Moines, Iowa.

*Photo by Edie Gehman Kohan/Obama Foodorama

First Lady Michelle Obama Pledges "Bold Steps" To Ensure Healthier School Meals

As USDA prepares to release a second nutrition rule for school foods, First Lady vows action to guarantee that goals of child nutrition legislation are met...
First Lady Michelle Obama today marked the one-year anniversary of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act 2010 by issuing a strongly worded statement about the importance of the legislation, which boosts child health initiatives by, among other things, improving school meals and altering school environments. Noting that America's future depends on the successful implementation of the Act, Mrs. Obama vowed to take "bold steps" to achieve its objectives. (Above: The President listens to Mrs. Obama speak during last year's signing ceremony for the Act)

"As we celebrate the many accomplishments of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act's first year, we also pledge to continue taking bold steps forward to advance this goal," Mrs. Obama said.

Making schools healthier is one of the five pillars of Mrs. Obama's childhood obesity campaign, Let's Move!. She was the most-high profile champion of the sweeping legislation as it moved through Congress, where it had bipartisan support. Today's pledge comes on the heels of recent efforts by Congress to dilute the US Department of Agriculture's proposed school nutrition standards that are part of the Act.

"We've seen the connection between what our kids eat and how well they perform in school," Mrs. Obama said today. "And we know that America's success in the 21st century means having the best-prepared and best-educated workforce around."

Many children get up to half their daily calories in school; more than 32 million children participate in the National School Lunch Program, with about 12 million in the Breakfast program. One in three children is overweight or obese, according to the Administration.

"So it is critical that we work to ensure that all children have the basic nutrition they need to learn, grow, and to pursue their dreams," Mrs. Obama said.

But Congress has performed poorly on the basic nutrition front. In October, under much pressure from lobbyists and big food corporations, Congress mandated that potatoes and other starchy vegetables can be served in schools in unrestricted quantities each week; USDA had proposed restricting these this to once weekly, to make more room for dark green and dark orange vegetables on cafeteria menus. In November, Congress officially made pizza sauce "a vegetable."

More battles ahead...
The final nutrition rule will be released in early 2012, USDA said today. But there are more battles over nutrition standards looming on the horizon, because USDA is not done. It must release a second set of proposed nutritional guidelines for what are called "competitive foods," those sold in vending machines, at school stores, and in a la carte lines. Once USDA unveils its guidelines, these will be open for public comment. Setting these standards could be even more contentious than creating the first set of standards, which garnered USDA more than 130,000 public comments, as well as PR campaigns from food companies and lobby groups.

And while the First Lady didn't give examples of what her "bold steps" will be, Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass (l) told Obama Foodorama that the First Lady will continue to be tireless in her advocacy for improving child nutrition, whether in school settings or elsewhere. Noting that Mrs. Obama has taken on the work both as a mother and as the First Lady, Kass was adamant.

"This is an issue she will continue to work on while she is in the White House--and for the rest of her life," Kass said.

Mrs. Obama's efforts to champion the child nutrition legislation before it was passed included meetings with members of Congress and stakeholders, writing an op-ed about the legislation for the Washington Post, and speaking about it constantly during public appearances. Kass was among the many senior officials at the White House who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to get the legislation passed.

For today's anniversary of the legislation, USDA released a list of this year's "key accomplishments," as well as a list "key accomplishments" for next year and beyond. These are below.

The First Lady's full statement:

"The success of our nation tomorrow depends on the choices we make for our kids today. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act is vital to the health and welfare of our kids, helping them build the healthy futures they deserve," said First Lady Michelle Obama. "We've seen the connection between what our kids eat and how well they perform in school. And we know that America's success in the 21st century means having the best-prepared and best-educated workforce around. So it is critical that we work to ensure that all children have the basic nutrition they need to learn, grow, and to pursue their dreams. As we celebrate the many accomplishments of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act's first year, we also pledge to continue taking bold steps forward to advance this goal."

The President and Mrs. Obama during the bill signing ceremony:



USDA's list of Key Accomplishments from the Act in Year 1:

*Nutrition Standards for School Meals: USDA proposed new meal patterns and nutrition standards that align school meals with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, analyzed over 130,000 public comments, and used them in drafting a final regulation for publication.

*Common Sense Standards for Revenue: USDA issued new rules to ensure that all revenues from school food sales keep pace with the Federal commitment to healthy school meals and properly align with costs, providing local schools as much as $7.5 billion over 5 years to invest in healthier meals for children.

*Nationwide Expansion of At-Risk Afterschool Meals: USDA worked closely with states to expand the availability of afterschool meals across the nation through the Child and Adult Care Food Program. USDA estimates this expansion could provide supper to an additional 140,000 kids in low-income areas.

*Categorical Eligibility for Foster Children: USDA issued guidance and provided technical assistance to states to ensure that more than 400,000 children in foster care are certified to receive free meals in all USDA child nutrition programs.

*Strengthening Direct Certification: USDA provided guidance, technical assistance and grant funding to states to improve their direct certification systems to help more children already receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).

*Implementing Community Eligibility: USDA is working with three states – Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan – to implement a "community eligibility" approach to reimburse schools for meals without the need for paper applications.

*Simplified Area Eligibility for Family Day Care Homes: USDA provided guidance to states to simplify the kinds of information that family day care home providers can use to qualify for participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

*Improved School Wellness Promotion: USDA provided guidance to enhance local wellness policies in schools in order to promote healthier lifestyles for children.

*Bolster Farm to School Connections: New USDA policy ensures that children have access to fresh produce and other agricultural products and give a much-needed boost to local farmers and agricultural producers.

USDA's list of Key Accomplishments for Year 2 and beyond:

*Nutrition Standards for School Meals: USDA anticipates finalizing the actual standards to align school meals with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans in early 2012.

*Nutrition Standards for All Foods Sold in School: USDA plans to propose new standards for foods sold in school other than reimbursable meals, such as those in school stores, a la carte lines, and vending machines.

*Implementation of Performance-Based Reimbursement: The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act included the first real reimbursement rate increase for school meals in roughly 30 years. These funds are tied to performance in meeting the updated nutrition standards for school meals. USDA plans to begin issuing these funds in 2012.

*Implementing Direct Certification using Medicaid Data: USDA will select states to participate in a demonstration project to test the use of Medicaid data for connecting eligible children with free school meals.

*Nutrition Standards for the Child and Adult Care Food Program: USDA will propose updated standards for child and adult care settings, as well as other early learning settings that participate in CACFP, to better align the meals served with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

*Implementing Community Eligibility: USDA plans to continue evaluating the current States participating in community eligibility and expanding to others.
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Related: Statements from high-profile advocates after the signing of the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act 2010.

*Photo at top by Chuck Kennedy/White House, taken on Dec. 13, 2010 at Harriet Tubman Elementary School in Washington, DC. Kass photo by Obama Foodorama

Power Politics In Action: Congress Officially Makes Pizza A Vegetable

Hot lunch: How lobbyists, big food corporations, and their friends on Capitol Hill fried the Administration's school nutrition standards...

By Marian Burros

Not everyone remembers how the Reagan Administration was shamed into withdrawing its effort to put ketchup in the same category as a serving of broccoli or kale in 1981. But Dr. Marion Nestle, author and professor of nutrition at New York University, remembers it well. Which is why she says the Congressional bill passed on Thursday that has turned pizza into a vegetable “makes me crazy."

“It’s about profit. It has nothing to do with the health of children,” Nestle told Obama Foodorama.

The Agriculture Appropriations bill, part of the larger "minibus" that provides funding for FY 2012, was approved by the Senate on a 70-30 vote, just after the House agreed to it 298-121. It provides $18.2 billion for school lunch and breakfast programs but contains four nutrition riders, two of which prohibit the Agriculture Department from providing healthier food for children.

The proposed changes that would reduce fat, saturated fat, sodium and sugar, add more whole grains and increase the variety of vegetables and fruits in school meals are science-based recommendations from the National Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

Congress had asked for the update to help reduce childhood obesity, one of First Lady Michelle Obama’s signature projects, the Let’s Move! campaign. But lawmakers appear to have had second thoughts, though both Mrs. Obama and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have repeatedly said the changes are essential to combat childhood obesity, pointing out that many children, particularly those that are disadvantaged, get up to half their daily calories from school lunch and breakfast. Better nutrition in schools is crucial for academic achievement and "winning the future," according to President Obama.

But spurred on by lobbyists for companies that might have their profit margin adversely affected by the proposed regulations, Congress is now requiring the USDA to back off from its efforts to require pizza makers to use more than 1/8 cup of tomato paste in order to call pizza a vegetable serving, and to reduce the use of potatoes (read French fries) in school lunches.

USDA wanted to reduce the frequency of potatoes along with other high-starch vegetables like corn, lima beans and peas because the IOM report said schools need to serve more orange and dark green vegetables.

The National Potato Council, in concert with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Mark Udall (D-Col), made sure Congress killed the proposed potato restriction: French fries will be available every day in school cafeterias. The potato industry points with pride to Mrs. Obama’s professed love of French fries, ignoring her admonition to treat them as an occasional indulgence rather than part of a daily diet. Many schools brag that they bake the French fries before serving. But that takes place after they have been fried at the facility where they were made.

Companies like ConAgra, the industrial agriculture giant, and Minnesota’s Schwan’s Food Service, which sells 70 percent of the pizzas served in school lunches, went all out to prevent a change in amount of tomato paste required to classify it as a serving of vegetables. Under the current regulations, tomato paste has a special exception carved out for it so that the 1/8 cup used on a pizza slice is comparable to the standard serving size of ½ cup of any other vegetable. USDA wanted to take away the special exception.

Pizza purchases from schools account for the largest part of Schwan's $3 billion in annual sales, so it is not surprising hat Democrat Amy Klobuchar, the company's home-state Sentator, sent a letter to USDA warning them to leave the pizza standard alone.

At the same time Schwan's was complaining about the pending change in the pizza regulation requiring more vegetable content, it was vigorously selling itself to school lunch directors as the company that could help them meet the proposed new rules, because it had added whole grain to its pizzas and reduced the fat and sodium content.

“We’re passionate about feeding children better," Schwan's president Jim Clough told Business Wire in August. But that passion does not extend to vegetables.

The company did not return repeated calls requesting comment.

ConAgra and Schwan's have also funded the website Coalition for Sustainable School Meal Programs, which has urged parents to help change the proposed regulations, particularly the one about pizza. Barry Sackin, a former vice president for public policy of what is now called the School Nutrition Association (SNA), is running the website and has worked with ConAgra and Schwan's.

The SNA is a trade association made up of the people who are responsible for school lunches. It also has industry members, like Schwan's and ConAgra, who pay hefty fees for membership. SNA is not happy with the changes USDA is proposing. It wants another year before the changes take affect: 2013 instead of 2012. It favors leaving the exception for tomato paste, claims there is not enough whole grain in certain sections of the country to use in school meals, worries that fresh leafy green vegetables are not available in certain part of the country in certain seasons and that if they can’t put enough salt in the food children won’t eat it.

When the First Lady gathered hundreds of professional chefs at the White House in June of 2010 to launch the Chefs Move to Schools initiative, she asked them to help schools improve the meals they served. But many of the chefs were surprised to discover that the professional lunch ladies resented their efforts.

“Members of the School Nutrition Association don’t have any power,” said Nestle. “Unlike anything else in school they have to run a break-even enterprise and the only way to do it is having lots and lots of kids eat their meals, so they pander to lowest common denominator.”

The Chefs Move program, run by USDA, now has 3,700 chefs enrolled, according to Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives Sam Kass. But there are more than 90,000 schools participating in the federal school lunch and breakfast programs.

The other riders in the bill: Sodium and Whole Grain...

There are two other riders to the Ag bill that seem designed to slow down the process of changing school lunch rather than an outright prohibition of changes. One requires USDA to provide scientific evidence that reducing sodium is important for health reasons. That shouldn’t be too hard: the Institute of Medicine has already done that. The other requires a definition for whole grains, and USDA already has a definition.

A USDA spokesman said the Agency sees “no barriers to implementing those parts of the regulation.”

House Republicans claim these four nutrition riders will save $6.8 billion over five years, a claim USDA vigorously disputes.

According to the Agency spokesman, the changes “will have little to no affect on the cost the new standards.”

Mrs. Obama could not have imagined that her efforts to reduce childhood obesity would cause such forceful reaction from the food industry, its assorted front groups and its friends in Congress.

Another anti-Obama front group...

The Coalition for Sustainable School Meal Programs is not the first front group fighting against healthier food. The Sensible Food Policy Coalition, whose members includes PepsiCo, Kellogg and General Mills, has been working to quash the government’s voluntary nutritional guidelines for advertising food to children, quite similar to the core principles of Let’s Move!.

The coalition wants to substitute the food industry’s far less stringent standards for the guidelines put together by the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, USDA, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last month, there was a hearing in the House in which the members made speeches, using text provided by the coalition’s members.

“What corporations want is free reign,” said Nestle. “They want to market anyway they want, to put any kind of junk food in kids and they’ve got Congress to back them up."

"The idea the Senate is passing laws about potatoes, putting riders on bills and the senatorial staff members are writing letters to USDA about the amount of tomato paste on pizza is power politics in action.”

Though Mrs. Obama agressively championed the school nutrition legislation that offered the improved standards for meals, the East Wing would not comment on the recent developments in Congress, instead referring queries to USDA.

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Update, 11:00 AM: In Bali, Indonesia, today, President Obama signed the bill into law.

Ed. note: Dr. Nestle was recently named by Forbes magazine as one of "The World's 7 Most Powerful Foodies" -- #2 to Mrs. Obama's #1 spot on the list. Burros, the author of this post, was actually the journalist in the Reagan era who coined the idea that "ketchup is a vegetable," which is now part of the food culture lexicon.

*Obama pizza at top of post was created by British food artist Prudence Strait for the Daily Mail. Photo by Alistair Heap.