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Letter: Making a healthy diet in schools

FILE - In this April 29, 2014, file photo, fruit and vegetables are served during lunch at the Patrick Henry Elementary School in Alexandria, Va. Congress will have to decide soon whether it wants another food fight with first lady Michelle Obama and the administration over what’s served in the school lunch line. School food rules pitted Republicans seeking full exemptions for some schools against Obama in 2014, with the first lady declaring she'd fight "to the bitter end" to make sure kids have good nutrition. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

With the new school year upon us, parents turn their attention to school clothes, school supplies and school food. Yes, school food.

More than 31 million children rely on school meals for their daily nutrition, which too often consists of highly processed food laden with saturated fat. Not surprisingly, one-third of our children have become overweight or obese. Their early dietary flaws become lifelong addictions, raising their risk of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

To compound the problem, the Trump administration has loosened Barack Obama’s 2010 school lunch rules calling for whole grains, fat-free milk and reduced salt content. The rules had an 86 percent approval rating.

Fortunately, many U.S. school districts now offer vegetarian options. More than 120 schools, including the entire school districts of Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Oakland, Philadelphia and San Diego have implemented “Meatless Monday.”

As parents, we need to involve our own children and school cafeteria managers in promoting healthy, plant-based foods in our local schools. Entering “vegan options in schools” in a search engine provides lots of useful resources.

Sal Lester

Salt Lake City