8/27/2011

Utah PTA Asks for Members to Get Involved in School Lunch Issue

Dear Utah PTA Members:



We could potentially lose the work that has been done in our efforts to provide nutritious lunches to our students this school year.  Please contact your Senator and encourage them to support USDA's efforts to improve school meals.  This is very important to our kids. 


Our two senators are Senator Orrin G. Hatch and Senator Mike Lee.  The information that will help you access the two senators can be found in the National PTA Alert.  Thank you again for your quick response.  Your voice is important to every child.


Sincerely,
Tibby Milne
Utah PTA Federal Legislative Chair Appointee



Urge Congress Not to Stand in the Way of Healthier School Lunches

As our children head back to school, some members of Congress want to roll back progress on improving school lunches, despite the sky-high childhood obesity rates.

PTA members, we need your help to send a loud and clear message to Congress that we want healthier school meals.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed common-sense nutrition guidelines to improve school lunches and breakfasts, including more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat milk and less salt, unhealthy fats, and calories.

Unfortunately, Food interests are working to get Congress to stop USDA from finalizing these sensible school nutrition standards. The House of Representatives has already included a rider in its Agriculture spending bill urging USDA to start over from scratch and propose a new set of school meal standards—even though tens of thousands of parents and organizations supported these important improvements.

If industry is successful in convincing the Senate to do the same, the goal of seeing healthy school lunches in cafeterias across the country will be in jeopardy.

Please send an email to both of your Senators today asking them to support USDA's efforts to improve school meals.

For more information on this topic, visit the National PTA Action Site.