Child Nutrition Act

The Child Nutrition Act (CNA) is a United States federal law signed on October 11, 1966 by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The Act was created as a result of the "years of cumulative successful experience under the National School Lunch Program to help meet the nutritional needs of children." The National School Lunch Program feeds 30.5 million children per day (as of 2007). NSLP was operated in over 101,000 public and nonprofit private schools in 2007 (AmberWaves). The Special Milk Program, functioning since 1954, was extended to June 30, 1970 and incorporated into the act. The act also provided Federal funding assistance towards non-food purchases for school equipment.

The act established the School Breakfast Program, a federally assisted meal program that provides low-cost or free breakfasts to children in public and non-profit schools as well as child care institutions. During the signing of the act, the president remarked that "good food is essential to good learning."

Nutrition Standards

The National School Breakfast Program feeds 10 million children each day, and the National School Lunch Program feeds more than 30 million students. However, the national standards and meal requirements for these meals were created more than a decade ago. The planning model used to develop current nutritional standards and related meal requirements is based on legislation (USDA,1995)that provided specifications for use of 1995 Dietary Guidelines for American and the 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowances (Stallings, 89). This model considers needs of the entire population of school children rather than specific individuals (Stallings, 91).

The Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program (Food and Nutrition Service) was also designed to increase fruit and vegetables available to schools. In 2008 farm bill called for gradual expansion of program to all states by 2012 (AmberWaves).

In the fall of 2009 the Institute of Medicine recommended updates and revisions to the school lunch and breakfast programs, at the request of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The committee reviewed the current regulations for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program Nutrition Standards and Meal Requirements. The planning model used to develop current nutritional standards and related meal requirements is based on legislation (USDA,1995) that provided specifications for use of 1995 Dietary Guidelines for American and the 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowances (NRC, 1989). To meet its task, the IOM committee also reviewed and assessed the food and nutritional needs of school-aged children in the United States using the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans set by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and USDA, as well as the IOM’s Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI). The committee recommends numerous revisions and that emphasis be placed on revised Meal Requirements rather than on nutrients per se. The committee’s recommended new approach clearly focuses on providing meals that are consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The final report, School Meals: Building Blocks for Healthy Children was released in November 2009. The committee recommended that the USDA adopt standards for menu planning, including:

• Increasing the amount and variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
• Setting a minimum and maximum level of calories
• Focusing more on reducing saturated fat and sodium

On January 13, 2011, USDA has published new proposed regulations in the Federal Register based on the IOM recommendations.

Some students have recognized the importance of a well balanced diet and started programs on a local level. Programs like the School Food Plus Initiative & E.A.T.W.I.S.E (Cooper, 54). Parents are also getting in on the action and have formed school district wellness committees around the country. They are looking forward to developing wellness policies that will charge local school districts with setting targets for nutrition education (Cooper, 84).

Importance of Programs

Without a proper diet children can lack proper brain development and may suffer from malnutrition. It is important for food programs such as these in schools because some students may receive all their meals from school. Without a well balanced diet it could cause a child's brain to not develop normally (Berger, 142). Children may be malnourished and could possibly suffer from Protein-calorie malnutrition (Berger 142). In the long run if children do suffer from lack of nutrients it will not only impede brain growth but effect their ability to learn as well (Berger, 142).

See also

• Child and Adult Care Food Program
• Share Our Strength

External links

• About the Child Nutrition Act of 1966
• "Picking battles: Healthy breakfasts challenge schools"
• The Institute of Medicine Review of National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program Meal Patterns and Nutrient Standards
• [1]
• [2]
• [3]
• Share Our Strength Latest News - Nat'l Teacher Survey Shows Many Children Too Hungry to Learn

Other resources

Berger, Kathleen. The Developing Person Throughout the Lifespan. 6th ed. Worth, 2005.

Cooper, Ann, and Lisa M. Holmes. Lunch lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children. New York: HarperCollins, 2006.

Newman, Constance, Katherine Ralston, and Annette Clauson. "Balancing Nutrition, Participation, and Cost in the National School Lunch Program." 15 May 2009.

Stallings, Virginia A., and Christine L. Taylor, eds. Meal Requirements for National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. Phase I. Porposed Approach for Recommending Revisions. Washington, DC: National Academies P. National Academies Press. 15 May 2009.