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IOM Issues Recommendations to Improve Nutritional Quality of Federal School Meal Program
A new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) calls for updating federal standards to limit the calories in meals served in U.S. schools, as well as offer more fruits and vegetables, and whole grain food items, the Los Angeles Times reports. At the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the IOM convened a committee to provide recommendations to help better align school meals with federal dietary guidelines. The nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program have not been updated since 1995. To create the recommendations, the IOM used the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans outlined by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the USDA, as well as the IOM’s Dietary Reference Intakes to analyze the food and nutrition needs of school-aged children. To align school meals with the various guidelines, the committee recommended that the Food and Nutrition Service of the USDA adopt standards for both menu planning and for meals selected by students. For menu planning, the IOM suggests that schools increase daily fruit and vegetable servings. The guidelines also recommend that at least one-half of all grains and breads be whole grain and that only fat-free and low-fat milk be offered in schools. The new guidance establishes minimum and maximum calorie levels, rather than just minimum standards as exists under the current model, and calls for officials to “gradually but markedly decrease sodium to the specified level by 2020.” To achieve this goal, the committee recommends that the USDA “work cooperatively with HHS, the food industry, professional organizations, state agencies, advocacy groups and parents.” Finally, the report calls for the Food and Nutrition Service to provide support for menu development and improvement, ordering of appropriate foods, and cost control. The IOM also recommended that the service establish procedures to monitor the quality of school meals. The Institute of Medicine report concludes that if the recommended changes are implemented, school meals will “appeal to students and contribute to their health and well being.” According to the report, the federal school meal programs in 2008 provided lunch to more than 30.5 million children and breakfast to 10.5 million children (MacVean, Los Angeles Times, 10/20/09; IOM report brief, 10/20/09).