Comment on School meal nutrition rollbacks are far from ‘common sense’

On Jan. 17, the Trump administration proposed rollbacks in nutrition standards in the school meal program. Under the proposal, legumes and potatoes will count as vegetables, fewer fruits will be served at breakfast and a la carte meals will allow students to select items high in fat. The result will be increased access to foods like french fries, hamburgers and other calorie-dense foods that were not allowed under the improved nutrition standards of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, which was championed by former first lady Michelle Obama and passed in 2010 with bipartisan support. In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue called these rollbacks “common sense,” but the science says otherwise. Here are the facts: A well-balanced diet high in fruits and vegetables and whole grains helps prevent diseases like obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and many cancers.