Beginning in June, schools in the U.S. started implementing new standards covering vending machines and snack bars. Out go chocolate bars and fruit candies, and in come peanuts and fruit cups. The regulations were developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and schools have a year to comply.
This infographic provides a window into the USDA’s thinking. The emphasis is on whole grains, as well as foods containing fruits, vegetables, dairy, or protein (meat, beans, poultry, seafood, eggs, or nuts) as primary ingredients. Sodium is a dirty word, and "empty calories"—added sugars and fats with no nutritional value—are frowned upon. The full rules summary can be found here.
That is bad news for manufacturers of chocolate sandwich cookies, which contain 286 calories (including 182 empty ones) in a six-pack, according to the department.
The rules cover more than 50 million kids. But they won’t affect what students bring from home, or what they buy outside the school grounds. Bake sales and the like will continue as before. There are no rules banning birthday cakes.
Nearly one third of children in America are at risk for preventable diseases like diabetes and heart disease due to being overweight or obese. If left unaddressed, health experts tell us that this generation may be the first to live shorter lives than their parents.
Kids will always find a way to get the foods they want. Schools just won’t be laying it all out on a plate anymore.