In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s surprise victory on Tuesday, all the things I’d planned share with you this week – a review of a new cookbook, an informative article I recently read – suddenly seem exceedingly trivial. Instead I can only think about the many troubling ramifications of this election, including what it may mean for the millions of children who rely on federal programs like school meals for critical nutrition.
At one end of Pennsylvania Avenue, we’ll have a Republican-controlled Congress taking up the long-overdue Child Nutrition Reauthorization (CNR) next year. House Republicans have already shown a willingness – indeed, an almost vengeful eagerness – to roll back the improved school nutrition standards championed by the First Lady. They want to get rid of the “Smart Snacks” rules that cleaned up on-campus junk food fundraising, slash the number of schools able to use the Community Eligibility Provision to serve free meals without paperwork, and allow schools to sell “a la carte” items like pizza and fries on a daily basis. They’ve also proposed a three-state block grant pilot for school meals, an idea which could cripple school meal programs in the event of an economic downturn, and which is seen by some as a precursor to dismantling the entire National School Lunch Program.
Of course, school meals are not the only federal program on which hungry kids rely. Forty-four percent of SNAP (food stamp) recipients are children, but the current Republican party platform advocates divorcing the program from the farm bill, thereby making it far more vulnerable to significant budget cuts. Indeed, House Speaker Paul Ryan has already indicated he hopes to drain $1 trillion from the program over the next ten years.
Then there’s President-elect Trump himself. While the fast-food loving candidate didn’t talk much about food policy as a candidate, what little he did say was rather alarming, including a plan to eliminate many food safety regulations, along with the nonexistent “FDA Food Police.”
As for school food in particular, Trump didn’t join his primary opponents Ted Cruz and Chris Christie in mocking Michelle Obama’s school food reform efforts on the campaign trail. (See: “If Heidi’s First Lady, French Fries Will Return to the Cafeteria” and “Christie on School Food: “I Don’t Care” What Kids Eat.”) Instead, the only time Trump spoke about school food (to my knowledge) was when he appeared on the Dr. Oz show in September. According to The Atlantic, a teacher in the audience asked about childhood obesity and Trump responded:
“That is a school thing to a certain extent. I guess you could say it’s a hereditary thing, too. I would imagine it certainly is a hereditary thing. But a lot of schools aren’t providing proper food because they have budget problems, and they’re buying cheaper food and not as good of food.”
If you squint a little, that rambling response could actually be construed as supporting healthy school meals served by well funded districts, but I’m not holding my breath.
After all, Trump is the same person who tapped Sid Miller, the Texas Agriculture Commissioner, as one of his advisors on food policy. Miller caused an uproar just last week by calling Hillary Clinton the “c-word,” but well before that incident (and before a whole lot of other outrageous and despicable behavior in my state), Miller’s first act in office was bringing back back sodas, deep fat fryers and birthday cupcakes to Texas schools.
Now, Politico‘s Morning Ag newsletter reports that Miller is actually on the short list as a possible (if unlikely) pick for Agriculture Secretary, the official who, among other duties, oversees all federal child nutrition programs. That Miller is even being considered for such a position tells you all you need to know about the relative importance of these issues to Trump and his advisors.
I unwittingly launched The Lunch Tray right in the middle of the last CNR, in the summer of 2010. Back then, it was thrilling to have a devoted champion like Michelle Obama in the White House, willingly spending her political capital to push for the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act‘s passage. For advocates like me and for concerned parents around the country, it’s going to be excruciating to watch the likely dismantling of many of those reforms in the days ahead.
For hungry children, the impact could be devastating.
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Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2016 Bettina Elias Siegel
Nancy Fairclough, CN says
It seems he will listen to Ivanka, who is much more in tune with kids health. Meet with her!
Libby says
I’ve been more focused on Trump’s threat to eliminate the Office for Civil Rights at the Dept of Education, which stipulates and enforces 504 plans for disabled kids, including ones with food allergies. You’re right about the impact on childhood nutrition, too. I’m afraid that keeping our children physically safe, included, and well nourished just became significantly harder.
I hope those of us in the food allergy and school/childhood nutrition advocacy can work together and support each other, because it’s going to be a long, tough battle that we can’t afford to lose.
nicole says
Hi. I have a child with FA and a 504 plan. Do you have more info on this?
Libby says
I have a lot of contradictory statements from Trump campaign. Latest is that most of Dept Ed function to be moved to states, but OCR to be moved to Dept Justice. Previously threatened to eliminate OCR because of role enforcing Title IX to protect college students who are transgender or have been sexually assaulted. (Because too “politically correct.) Sorry, don’t have links right now, on phone.
Sally @ Real Mom Nutrition says
Like a lot of Americans, I feel completely weighed down by my sadness right now–first at the election results, now at what he may actually try to do once he’s in the White House. I fear for the most vulnerable, including children who rely on free school meals and families who depend on SNAP. And seeing the healthy changes that have been made to school food rolled back is a heartbreaking prospect. I know you’ll be carefully tracking all of this and keeping us informed–and when there’s something we can do to help, letting us know–and for that I am very grateful.
Pam Sanders says
Instead of assuming and predicting a bad fate, why don’t you request a meeting with President-elect Trump and give him some recommendations and work with him?
Kim says
I do like this suggestion but to not research and be aware of the track record of those he will choose to advise him and understand the far reaching potential impact prior to his availability to meet is to be woefully unprepared. An example of good done, Since the removal of snack machines from our program, we have seen weight loss take off from student to staff.
Sara Volino says
Bravo Bettina!
Keep up your efforts to provide healthy food for our nation’s children. The inspiration you provide is so necessary to rally more of our citizens to care and then do something about this issue.
Sara Volino
a concerned momma says
You haven’t given our new president a chance. As for what mrs. Obama did for our childrens meals….can anyone tell me why our children can’t have a salad bar, or a potato bar, or a hot dog bar? I’m talking about our elementary school’s…can’t our kids have food cooked at school anymore? If she has done such a great job why can’t they have these things?? Maby it was ok for her children to get steak and lobster but I can tell you that other children in America don’t. Clear that one up for us all
Barbara Fredrickson says
I am not certain what you are referring to. I am a food service director in Minnesota and we have salad bar. We have hot dogs with all the fixings. We do not have a potato bar- but that is just because they are a hard product to hold for a period of time and I am proud of the quality of food we prepare and serve.
Our school- Under the Healthy and Hunger Free Kids act- prepares from scratch Enchiladas, Chili, Chicken Alfredo, Fried Rice, Spanish Rice, Various Salads, Whole Grain Rolls among the list.
It sounds to me like it is your local school district’s issue, nothing to do with Mrs. Obama.
Sheila Keim says
Not sure where “concerned momma” is getting the information from. In our 25 schools (Idaho) we have salad bars at every site offering fruits and vegetables every singe day- self serve. Our school lunch menus offer 3 main items and a hot vegetable every day. We have tried a variety of foods but kids usually choose the favorites- pizza, chicken nuggets, burgers/hot dogs. We also offer yogurt parfaits, chef salads (even the same salad without the meat if requested), whole grain breads and homemade rolls 2-3 times per week. Plus a bounty of other main items throughout the weeks.
Kids are overloaded with choices but they claim (and their parents claim) that there is no variety- and they still go back to the few main items that are the favorites.
All of our menus meet USDA guidelines for calories, sodium, fat, etc.
This was in place long before Michelle Obama came along. She simply chose this as her platform to bring awareness to overall health/wellness for our nations children.
If your district is not following the standards then get out and do something- maybe go have lunch with your child one day and see for yourself. Shame on any district that is not meeting the already in place nutrition regulations- it’s not new!
Anne says
Thanks for putting this down during a tough 48 hours. It’s what I needed to read but didn’t want to! I’m tired and sad.
Denine @ HealthyOutofHabit says
Yes, Bettina, this has been something that has been weighing heavily on my mind over the last few days. I´m glad that you address it here. School food is already a contentious issue, and Michelle Obama has made great strides in policy and in nurturing a mind shift about the role of food in schools, and in health. I will be watching even more closely given the Congressional and Presidental results. Thank you.
Jason Lightle says
I am a conservatarian who cares deeply about the food system. I fight CAFOs locally in Missouri. I love the local food revolution. Yes, The First Lady had a noble cause in child health issues and obesity prevention. However, policy beyond school lunches matters. I went to see Michael Pollan speak about In Defense of Food. His tough talk on President Obama’s Ag policy and cabinet mainly revolved around Michele Obama’a glorious and groundbreaking organic garden. What a signal to the U.S. and the big Ag special interests. Please. The president had recently orchestrated a Monsanto and Ag cabinet revolving door. Not to mention the Ag lobby’s dream, Tom Vilsack, heading up the department. Forgive me for finding your concerns hypocritically obnoxious. I saw little protest during all of this. It was simply reasoned away with blind political loyalty. As usual. I understand your concern. You likely are fearful of a mercurial Trump. Me too. I didn’t vote for Trump. And I certainly didn’t vote for Hillary as Vilsack and his ilk were on all of her shortlists. Hey, she would have kept the garden though, huh! This is just as much about your ingrained political reflexes as it is about policy. History proves that. How about we show a little cautious optimism. If Trump truly is the populist he claims to be, then we may see the socioeconomic status of some the poorest SNAP dependent parts of the United States pulled out of poverty. Fighting climate change, despite differing opinions of the matter, is noble. I think the fight is an honest goal by people who care. But how do you expect the poorest parts of the county to eat healthy or even enter that mindset when a political movement is decimating a huge chunk of the county? We subsidize unhealthy food and obesity. Both parties do. The free lunch program, SNAP benefits, and an organic garden at the White House are going to do little to nothing when the only culture entire communities have is unemployment and dispare. No, Trump isn’t going to hire Jaime Oliver to travel around Appalachia confiscating Mountain Dew from schools. He may bring back their jobs at the expense of more CO2. I salute Mr Oliver by the way. He is a hero. He actually went into that area and changed it with his heart and mind.
I could go on, but somehow I doubt it would help. It seems we are too indoctrinated to ever fix these problems.
Terry says
.As far as free meals for all.Why?What happen to the parents responsibly .How much more fre can we stand to give?I can’t move out of middle class because of taxes now.
Ashley R Nave says
Maybe school lunch can be recreated in a different style of food. New choices in food, even dessert could be recreated in a light and delicious version. I have said it before, fast food restaurants need a makeover, maybe in a number of healthy option to choose from, restyling fast food restaurants into like a diner or something.