Senate Passes the Child Nutrition Act

This past June, the U.S. Senate reauthorized the Child Nutrition Act (CNA). This act gets amended every five years in order for children to receive the fully updated and proper nutrition needed in school.

One of the major programs created by the CNA is the Breakfast Program. This program focuses on providing either low-cost or free breakfast for children in low-income families.

The number of students buying breakfast, in the past few years, has dramatically increased in some states, including New York. This program proves to be effective due to the fact that an early morning meal can positively improve a child's focus in school by increasing attentiveness.

The Special Milk Program, which is federally funded for children who are not involved in school food services, provides milk for children who cannot afford to buy lunch. This plan assures that all children have access to milk in school for a reasonable price. The senate also has taken their power on a federal level to increase spending on healthier food, as a measure taken to help combat childhood obesity.

Additionally, many schools try to find better school lunch companies in order to provide healthier options for students. Schools are trying to cut back on the calories, increase the amount of protein and increase vitamins in order for children to get their nutrients in a healthy manner.

The Agriculture Committee is very involved in providing naturally grown products used for school lunch.

With the improvement of these conditions, American children can live healthier without the fear of foods containing certain preservatives.

Also, portion control has been put into effect in many cases, so a child can now eat a healthy-sized meal.

These revisions are a great new way to further add and solve previous problems in a children's diet while they're in school. When children eat better in school, they are more likely to eat healthier everywhere else.