February 20, 2023
SIU prof is pleased how new school lunch standards can help food-insecure kids
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Dawn Null, assistant professor of human nutrition and dietetics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a registered dietitian, said she is pleased how new school lunch standards from the United States Department of Agriculture can improve the health of the nation’s children, especially those who are food-insecure.
The new guidelines are part of an initiative announced Feb. 3 at the USDA Conversation on Health School Meals Roundtable. The effort will update standards for foods and beverages served at school meal programs, more closely aligning them with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
“I’m excited about the change,” Null said. “School meals may be the only time some of the kids receive milk, fruits, vegetables and whole grains in their diet.”
Food insecurity is typically defined as having the inability to obtain an adequate amount of food and sufficient nutrition. One in nine Illinois children faces hunger, according to Feeding America.
“Southern Illinois counties, in particular, have higher food-insecurity rates ranging from 21.8% to 32.6%,” Null said. “The new standards align with the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which encourage a healthy dietary pattern, nutrient-dense food choices and limiting foods and drinks higher in added sugars, saturated fat and sodium.”
She said it is essential for children and adolescents to receive the proper nutrition so they can function well and grow but also to ensure healthy brain development.
While the new standards will be implemented over the next few years, some families face more immediate needs. The state of Illinois recently announced the federal USDA Food and Nutrition Service’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will return to their pre-pandemic levels beginning in March.
“SNAP participants will see their benefits go down anywhere from $95 to $250 per person, per month,” Null said. “About 1 million Illinois families will be affected, so this is even more reason to make certain kids are receiving healthy, nutritious meals at school.”
Null said although previous attempts to make school menus healthier met with some resistance from people saying children wouldn’t eat it, studies revealed there was no increase in food waste.
The new standards include:
- Limiting the amount of added sugars, initially in high-sugar products and eventually throughout the menu.
- Gradually reducing weekly sodium limits.
- Emphasizing whole grain products with the occasional option of non-whole grain products.
- Allowing flavored milk in specific scenarios in keeping with reasonable limits on added sugars.
Null has more than 18 years of experience in the field of nutrition and health. Her diverse experience includes food distribution, menu and recipe development; health promotion program development, implementation and evaluation, and directing an accredited collegiate dietetics program at SIU. She is also the continuing education adviser for registered dietitians and for the American College Health Association and serves as a consultant for the inland river barge industry regarding nutrition, health and wellness.