More children eating fruit in school

Changes made to government-subsidized school meals by the Obama administration to get children to eat more fruits are working, according to a new study by the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at UConn. The study found that between 2012, when the changes took effect, through 2014, the percentage of students choosing fruit on a cafeteria line increased to 66% from 54%. Perhaps more important, children threw away less food now than before. Students are now eating 84% of their entrees, not including fruit, up from 71% before the new guidelines were put in place, thus decreasing the amount of food waste. Many critics of the new guidelines had claimed that children were throwing food away because they were being forced to eat more nutritious, but less desirable, meals.

Source: New York Times, Fruit in School

Did you know that last year, over one-third of the food distributed by Foodshare was fresh produce? Thanks to food industry donors, the Mobile Foodshare program is able to get nutritious food directly into the neighborhoods where it is needed most!