Improve health of children; expand salad bars

Improving the Health of our Children

--by Congressman Tim Ryan

As we reach the end of the school year, it is important as parents, teachers and communities to look back and reflect on what we could have done better to improve the education and health of our children. There is no doubt that we can be doing more to help reverse the trend of poor diets by equipping our schools with the tools they need to teach children how to eat healthier.

On average, more than 30 million children participate in the National School Lunch program daily, with more than 70 percent qualifying for free or reduced-price meals based on family income. Schools have the responsibility to make sure that the lunches offered through the program are healthy and nutritious.

The numbers show that one-third of the children in the United States are overweight or obese, putting them at increased risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and other chronic diseases. This is unacceptable. Improving the healthfulness of school meals, including serving more fruits and vegetables, will improve children’s eating habits and their health. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that children “make half their plate fruits and vegetables” at each meal.

Research indicates that school salad bars are an effective strategy to increase children’s consumption of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. That is why last week I introduced the Salad Bar in Schools Expansion Act, which creates a new program for the USDA to help schools set up a salad bar program. The bill also directs the Secretary to establish and implement a plan to promote the use of salad bars in schools and provide training and technical assistance on how to properly run a salad bar program.

Salad bars are one of the easiest ways for School Food Authorities to meet the new school lunch nutrition standards that require serving a fruit and a vegetable every day, providing a colorful variety of vegetables every week, and ensuring that students select at least one cup of a fruit or a vegetable at lunch.

In addition, I am a cosponsor of the Farm to School Act, which would expand the USDA Farm to School program bringing food from local small and mid-size farms to schools around the country. I also believe we must do more to expand the use of gardens in schools to promote healthier diets.

I want you to know that I am proactively working to increase funding and organizational infrastructure for local food banks, community gardens, urban farming, and other sustainable agriculture. Please know that I will continue to support such legislation as we continue to find ways to reduce and prevent child hunger and undernourishment.

Tim Ryan is the U.S. representative for the 13th Congressional District of Ohio. The Democrat is from Howland.

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