You can help nourish the future. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed new nutrition standards for school meals to improve the health of America’s children. This is an important step forward. Now, your voice is needed so the USDA knows there is broad public support for their recommendations to limit added sugars, emphasize whole grains, and focus on decreasing sodium levels.
School meals are a proven way to nourish children’s academic success so they can be healthy, happy and live out their full potential.
Raise your voice: Submit public comment here using the simple template provided below. Personalize it so your comment is unique. Share your story about why healthy school meals are so important to you, your family, and our future. USDA appreciates hearing from individuals with personal experience of school nutrition programs.
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Individual comment template:
My name is _____
I am a [insert who you are: parent, school nutrition director, doctor, etc.] and believe that better school meals can help address the urgent need to increase nutrition security across America. This matters to me because [insert your real-life example of why you want to see this change to school meals or why you think it’s important].
As an Eat Real supporter and advocate for healthy children, I’m writing today to share my support for the USDA’s “Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans” proposed rule (88 FR 8050), which would strengthen school nutrition standards. I believe these new standards will [what positive impacts do you see better nutrition standards yielding for children in America? or for local farmers that schools can source more food from? share your personal opinions here!]
In my experience, I have seen the power of nutritious school meals to [share your story! what transformational impacts have you seen healthy school food make possible? has your child done better in school? excelled on the sports field? let the USDA know what real world impacts better school food can make possible.]
America’s children represent the most important investment opportunity we can make in our future. When children are healthy, happy, and engaged in learning, they are well-positioned to help our society tackle the greatest challenges we face today.
I applaud the USDA for its efforts to increase the nutritional quality of school meals and offer my full support for the “Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans” proposed rule. Additionally, I urge leaders to continue to invest in school meals.
Thank you,
Sign Name
Click here to submit your comment to the USDA through Regulations.gov.
Organizational Comment Guide:
Are you an organization that is interested in submitting a comment? Please refer to this model comment template compiled by the National Alliance for Nutrition and Activity for more detailed recommendations.
More information:
Here is the official background and full text on the proposal: “Child Nutrition Programs: Revisions to Meal Patterns Consistent with the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” The new standards simply align nutrition requirements for school meals with the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, as required by law.
