New federal school cafeteria recipes designed to support first lady Michelle Obama’s health mandate don’t meet the government’s demands for colorful veggies, low salt and low sugar foods and are being widely rejected because they aren’t “student friendly,” according to a survey of school nutrition professionals.
The School Nutrition Association found that especially large school systems, representing 54 percent of all students, rejected the Agriculture Department’s 226 specially designed recipes because they didn’t meet “the trends of today,” clashed with “cultural diversity” and “are not current with today’s trends.”
Worse, the association’s survey said the USDA’s suggested breakfast, lunch and snack recipes didn’t meet the department’s own demand for healthier foods, the goal of Obama’s Let’s Move and Recipes for Healthy Kids initiatives.
“The majority of [school nutrition] directors perceived that the USDA recipes do not adequately support the following issues: menu planning for dark green vegetables and red/orange vegetables, and compliance with meal pattern specifications regarding ‘no added sugar,’ ‘no syrup,’ and ‘sodium,'” said the group’s latest survey.
And they complained about costs in the analysis provided to the Washington Examiner. “Most [school nutrition] directors reported the USDA recipes have an unreasonable impact on food cost. This is important because a major aspect of a [school nutrition] director’s job is maintaining budget compliance,” the survey said.
It’s the latest bad news for Obama’s push to make school food healthy — and delicious.
There was one good sign, however. Smaller school districts that actually cook items from scratch like many of the recipes.
STATE DEPT. LEADS INTERNATIONAL PRO-GAY EFFORT
Encouraged by Ireland’s overwhelming endorsement of same-sex marriage, the State Department is stepping up its bid to crush anti-gay laws in some 80 nations.
Armed with the first “special envoy for the Human Rights of LBGT Persons,” the department is joining with internationally influential groups to repeal the laws and change constitutions to pave the way for sexual equality, including the right to marriage.
“I am very very optimistic that we will create the change that we need,” said Randy W. Berry, installed as the envoy in April. “We need to focus on advancing the cause.”
Berry, speaking at the U.S. Institute of Peace, said the U.S. is getting involved with constitutional challenges in nations, educating judges on gay rights and working to provide legal help to those facing prejudice.
“We are looking to support local, national and international efforts that aim to both repeal these negative laws that further undermine human rights as well as promote the passage of new laws that positively reinforce the message of equality,” he said. “We recognize constitutional reform as a process to achieve both goals.”
The agency has taken a lead in promoting gay rights, though its efforts overseas aren’t as well known, especially in changing constitutions.
“Constitutional reform can provide the basis for legal claims of discrimination that can be used as a tool to uproot customs and structures that are prejudicial,” Berry said.
TED CRUZ, FIRST WITH CAMPAIGN SONG
Sen. Ted Cruz, the first GOP candidate to jump into the 2016 presidential primaries, is also the first with a campaign song, though still unofficial.
“Set It On Fire,” by the Christian rap group We Are Watchmen, cheers the candidate as “Ronald Reagan Part Two,” and calls on supporters to “rise up, roll out, all in for the war.”
Band member and rapper Joe Salant said his band produced the song without Cruz’s knowledge and is now eager to get it to the campaign. “We’re all in for Ted Cruz,” he said. “We hope he uses the song to rally people around him.”
The video of “Set It On Fire” shows the Cruz campaign’s flame symbol on the background.
Salant, who has connections with key evangelicals close to Cruz, said he wants to help the conservative reach younger Americans. “We are more geared to youth. We grew up in that community,” said Salant, who found God after serving some time in jail.
The Cruz campaign provided a warm note about the song to the Examiner, calling it, “Indicative of grassroots enthusiasm.”
QUOTE:
“You know the difference between a teenager and a terrorist? You can negotiate with a terrorist.”
Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, father of five teenagers
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
