HOW USDA SAYS SMART SNACKS MAKE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT HEALTHIER! (1442 hits)
Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Wilson Hosts Media Call to Discuss Smart Snacks, Local Wellness Policies to Make School Environments Healthier
Final regulations ensure snacks, marketing messages in schools are consistent with healthier school lunch and breakfast standards
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 21, 2016 – TODAY, Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Katie Wilson will join Burke County School Nutrition Program Director, Donna Martin, and PTA President of North Carolina, Kelly Langston, to announce final changes under the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) that will improve access to healthy food, consistent nutrition standards for foods marketed and served to students, and program integrity efforts that will further improve the administration of federal child nutrition programs.
Since implementation of HHFKA in 2012, the more than 52 million children who attend schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program have healthier school environments than ever before. Research shows that nearly 80 percent of schools offer two or more vegetables at lunch, and students are eating 16 percent more vegetables with their meals. In addition, more low-income children are benefiting from breakfast and lunch programs, and nearly four million children have access to healthy food in the summer when school is out and meals are scarce.
Thursday, July 21, 2016 1:30-2:30 PM EASTERN
WHAT: Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Katie Wilson will host a conference call to discuss aligning snack foods sold in schools with the nutrition standards for school breakfast and lunch, ensuring consistent messaging and marketing about healthy food and beverage choices in schools, and fostering a collaborative approach to local school wellness policies.
WHO: •Katie Wilson, Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services •Donna Martin, Burke County, Georgia School Nutrition Program Director; President-elect, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics •Kelly Langston, PTA President of North Carolina and North Carolina’s Coordinator for Action for Healthy Kids
All callers using the above passcode will be placed in listen only mode. To join the Q&A portion of the meeting, these callers are instructed to press *1 on their touch tone phone.
###
USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 (voice), or (202) 720-6382 (TDD).
•Media Advisory - Smart Snacks Local Wellness Policy.docx
