Earth Day Network is working at the forefront of the policy debate, from climate change legislation to giving every child a healthy school environment and the opportunity to learn about the world around them. No Idling Campaign​ Green Schools​ Environmental Education​ Healthy Food​ Kid-Safe Chemicals Act​

 Healthy Food

A healthy environment is an essential part of our children's education, and this includes safe and nutritious food. Children get up to 50% of their daily food intake at school, and unfortunately it's not always the best kind. Earth Day Network seeks to remove the barriers to serving high-quality school food, including more fresh fruits and vegetables.

2009 Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization

The school lunch and breakfast programs are vital to the health and well-being of many of our nation's children. In the 2005-2006 school year, 30.1 million children ate at least one meal at school. However, such meals often lack nutritional quality and many are distinctly unappetizing. Budget constraints force cafeterias to fall back on low-cost items such as hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and pizza. Numerous studies show that school lunches provide children with too much fat, too much salt, and not enough fresh fruits and vegetables to support a healthy diet.

Fortunately, there is an opportunity to improve school meals nationwide. In 2009, Congress will review The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 that is set to expire in September 2009. This legislation includes every federal child nutrition program, including the school lunch and breakfast programs. Earth Day Network has prompted the USDA to increase school meal subsidies to help them serve better food, strengthen nutrition standards, and increase funding for nutrition education. You can support these measures by sending this letter to the USDA, participating in one of the public sessions, or writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper.

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http://earthday.net/policy#healthyfood