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Fellow Food Revolutionaries,
This is a hugely important moment in time for us. We’ve got a brilliant opportunity RIGHT NOW to get better food into schools all over America, but we really need your help. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has drafted a new set of school meal standards as part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act.
If these new standards are passed, schools will have to begin replacing junk and processed foods with lovely fresh, whole ingredients and it will be the first time in 15 years that nutrition standards in schools have really improved1. If they aren’t passed, children all over America will be facing more years of substandard, unhealthy food in their schools. To me, that’s unacceptable.
The USDA is taking public comments on these proposed standards as we speak, so PLEASE, PLEASE click on the link below and tell them you want these changes! There are plenty of powerful food companies and groups that won’t want these standards passed because they make big money from the current system. They’ll be sending in their comments too so it’s up to all of us to stand against them and make our voices count. Please join me in doing this. It will only take a minute or two out of your day, but it could mean better lives for kids all over America.
www.jamiesfoodrevolution.com/usda
Millions of kids all over America eat at least one meal a day at school and giving them the best nutrition possible is critical. But from what we’ve seen, nearly everything they are currently being given to eat is processed food, and this is laying down the foundations for bad health, obesity and diabetes2.
Now is our opportunity to change that. If you join us in supporting the new standards proposed by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, this is what it will mean for your kid’s meals:
• more whole FRESH fruits (no more fruit snacks);
• a wider variety of veggies;
• more healthy whole grains;
• French fries limited to once a week;
• and a reduction in the sodium, saturated fats and calories of processed food items.
We need your help to get the Food Revolution started in America – make sure the USDA hears what you have to say by submitting a comment. Thank you for taking this important first step towards getting real food on school menus and giving our kids the promise of better health.
www.jamiesfoodrevolution.com/usda
Big love,
Jamie Oliver and the Food Revolution team
1. Learn more about the proposed nutrition standards here: http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/food/diet-nutrition/2011-01-12-schoollunch13_ST_N.htm
And here: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/
2. A study conducted by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service found that processed foods like pizza, breaded chicken nuggets, beef patties and burritos, accounted for 40 percent of the lunch entrees. These items were among the top contributors of calories, fat and sodium in the lunches. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation summarized key findings here: http://www.rwjf.org/childhoodobesity/product.jsp?id=38168
And being overweight makes you 20-40 times more likely to develop diabetes http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/diabetes-prevention/preventing-diabetes-full-story/index.html#weight-control
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The Oklahoma Fit Kids Coalition is a statewide initiative coordinated by the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy.