School Lunch Restrictions Eliminated

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday that it is eliminating smaller portions and other requirements already set out for school lunches for the rest of the 2012-2013 school year, according to an article on Parsippany Patch.

According to the article, the U.S. Department is also eliminating the requirements concerning grains and proteins, all mandated by the federal 2010 Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. Under the law, portion sizes for protein and grains were cut in favor of adding fruit and vegetable servings.

Students in the Bridgewater-Raritan School District have said they noticed an increase in healthier foods offered, but were often preferring not to eat them.

Many said portions were significantly reduced, while prices were increased, and many still stuck with the junk food options, which were cheaper and tasted better.

Some students said the vegetables were not fresh, and just the quality of the produce was unacceptable.

Officials had said they would look into options for offering better foods, with improved quality and possibly larger portions for students. But, they also said that students could buy more food if they were still hungry during lunch periods.