The IAA One Minute Blog

Changes to school nutrition standards that pushed more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products, significantly decreased kids’ and teens’ body mass index (BMI) after the standards were implemented in 2010, a new study finds.

Updates to School Lunch Nutrition Standards

The study followed 14,121 U.S. youths ages five to 18, from January 2005 to March 2020. The study didn’t include data following widespread school shutdowns due to the pandemic.

The researchers found an overall decrease in annual BMI in the period following implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Previous research showed that school-provided meals were linked with childhood obesity in the years before stricter nutritional guidelines.

The overall BMI decrease was seen across ages and income levels.

Additionally, according to the study, prior to the implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, BMI increased in teenage years. However, that trend reversed after the nutritional changes were made.

The study was published in “JAMA Pediatrics.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 20 percent of children and adolescents ages two to 19 are obese, which can lead to lifelong health complications. This includes high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and breathing problems.

Your Child’s Lunch

Whether your student buys lunch at school or it comes from your kitchen, here are some healthy lunch tips:

1. Choose fruits and vegetables: It is a good idea to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. So, try to fit in one or two at lunch.
2. Know the facts about fat: Kids need some fat in their diet to stay healthy—it also helps keep them feeling full. But you don’t want to eat too much of it.
3. Go for whole grains.
4. Sip sensibly: It is not just what you eat, drinks count too. Avoid juice drinks and sodas.
5. Balance your lunch: When people talk about balanced meals, they mean meals that include a mix of food groups. Try to do this with your child’s lunch. If they don’t have a variety of foods in their lunchbox, it is probably not balanced.
6. Skip packaged snacks: It is ok to have these foods once in a while, but they shouldn’t be on the lunch menu.
7. Mix it up: Keep your child’s taste buds from getting bored and try something new. Eating lots of different kinds of foods gives your child a variety of nutrients.

To make lunch prep interactive, have your kids participate in planning their meal and food prep. It is a fun way for them to feel involved.

What IAA has to Say

Insurance Administrator of America knows that getting kids to eat a healthy lunch can be tricky, but it does help with their overall health! Remember, with IAA one call does it all.

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