The House of Representatives on December 3 joined the Senate by passing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act ending months of deadlock and significantly improving opportunities for low-income students to get healthy, more affordable school meals.
If President Obama signs the bill into law, as expected, there will be $4.5 billion in new child nutrition funding over 10 years and schools will:
- Serve more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products.
- Get help meeting new standards for healthier school meals.
- Have to follow national nutrition standards for all food sold on school grounds.
- Strengthen their wellness policies.
- Get funding for farm-to-school programs.
- And expand the Afterschool Meal Program to all 50 states.
While valid concerns remain about nutrition and hunger programs for low-income families and crucial work must be done to ensure that Congress and the President restore funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), passage of this bill is a huge victory in the battle to end the epidemic of undernourished and obese children.
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