School lunches: Local 5-year-old cries when she has to eat school lunch

5/28/2014

WASHINGTON D.C. — On Tuesday, First Lady Michelle Obama is expected to fire back against school meal critics who say the program to make school lunches healthier has gone too far.

Michelle Obama will host Republicans at the White House to highlight the success of the lunch guidelines.

However, the School Nutrition Association has been one of the most outspoken against federal guidelines to make school lunches healthier. It is already asking Congress and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture to reconsider the whole-grain requirements, keeping the requirement at 50 percent rather than 100 percent. It doesn’t want sodium requirements reduced any further or to force children to take a fruit or a vegetable.

The School Nutrition Association says more children aren’t eating at school because they don’t like the new foods being served.

Michelle Obama, through a spokesperson, says the new standards are working.

A Republican-backed bill making its way through the House would allow schools to opt out of the new standards if they do not meet lunch sale goals for six months.

FOX 4′s Katie Ferrell reported Tuesday morning on the reaction from Kansas City-area parents to the more nutritious school lunches.

Among the comments:

“The food provided as school lunch is not even edible. My 5-year old isn’t picky and she cries if we accidentally forget to pack her lunch,” said Jaye Anne Isom-Moloski on our facebook page.

“Yes it motivates us to send actual healthy food from home so our child doesn’t have to eat school lunches,” said Jennifer Smith-Mcwhirt.

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