Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act


U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue holds up his chocolate milk drink at Discovery Elementary School, in Arlington, VA, on October 18, 2018. USDA Photo by Lance Cheung/Flickr

Sonny Perdue’s School Lunch Bait-and-Switch

, senior analyst, Food and Environment

December 14, 2018 9:00 AM EDT

Last week, the Trump administration finalized a rule that will weaken nutrition standards governing what kids are served in the school lunch line. This rollback had been in works for more than a year—Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue first signaled his intention in May 2017, just weeks into his new job. But now, one key component of the final rule is different from what he proposed back then. And you probably won’t be shocked to hear that it’s worse, not better, for children’s health. Read more >

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A bustling farmers market outside Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City, offering healthy food to patients and doctors alike. Photo: Amelia Moore

In the Rush to Repeal Obamacare, A Reminder: Food Policy Is Health Policy

, senior analyst, Food and Environment

December 20, 2016 3:34 PM EDT

2017 is nearly upon us. And while the year ahead seems full of uncertainty, some things never change, including the tendency of many Americans to make New Year’s resolutions to improve their diets and lose weight.

But the day-to-day “what to eat” decisions of individual Americans are fickle and heavily shaped by the food environment around us. Which is why, as the incoming president and Congress set out their policy priorities—including a long-planned repeal of Obamacare—it’s worth looking at potential policy changes that could make it harder for Americans to keep their resolutions in 2017 and beyond. Read more >

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The Big Three Threats to Progress on Added Sugar Transparency

, Lead science and policy analyst

December 2, 2016 1:44 PM EDT

The FDA’s revisions to the nutrition facts label, which we celebrated in May, could now be under siege on a few different fronts. Read more >

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Photo: Karen Perry Stillerman

Food and Farm Progress to be Thankful For

, senior analyst, Food and Environment

November 16, 2016 4:56 PM EDT

It seems like a million years since October 2008. That’s when author Michael Pollan published his open letter to the next “farmer-in-chief,” calling on the incoming president to take bold steps to transform the nation’s food system. The role of farmer-in-chief has been inhabited ever since by Barack Obama, and as his presidency winds down, some observers—including Pollan—have criticized the administration for not doing enough.

Others have tempered that assessment, arguing that the Obamas accomplished a lot in the food arena under tough circumstances, even though we have a long way to go. Personally, I agree with the latter view: we have quite a bit to be thankful for, in terms of concrete progress over the last eight years toward a healthier, fairer, more vibrant food system. Read more >

Photo: Karen Perry Stillerman
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Congress Can Help Prevent Diabetes with Healthy School Lunches

, senior analyst, Food and Environment

April 21, 2016 2:02 PM EDT

From Freddie Gray to the Flint drinking water crisis, the reality of historic and systemic racial inequality in America is making headlines. Communities of color and low-income communities also face deep-rooted inequities in our food system, including unequal access to healthy foods. Cutting school lunches for millions of low-income kids would only exacerbate this inequality, but Congress seems poised to do just that.

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