The attempt to legislate nutrition is causing problems in the nation’s public schools.
Food waste is up and the number of students buying school lunches is down, witnesses told a congressional panel on Thursday.
And the maximum weekly limits on protein and grain servings, although temporarily suspended, are particularly troublesome:
“Under the grain and protein maximums, our cafeterias faced the choice of either eliminating these daily alternatives or offering them only four days a week, leaving students confused and upset on Fridays,” said Sandra Ford, director of food and nutrition services for Manatee County School District in Bradenton, Florida.
“On the first day of school, one of my elementary school students burst into tears in the cafeteria because he couldn’t get his peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Meanwhile, we haven’t been able to find whole grain sandwich wraps that meet the weekly grain limits, so we’ve had to cut our wraps in half. How would you feel if suddenly your favorite sandwich was served on just half a wrap?
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