United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

Federal school lunch program

• The majority of a child’s life is spent in school. Thus, it is only natural to assume that a majority of the child’s nutrition will be under the control of the school district and federal policies governing that industry. In 2012, the Obama administration passed a ruling titled “Nutrition Standards in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs” which was significantly different from its prior standards. Compared to past standards, there is an increase in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free/low fat milk.
• A child’s eligibility for free or reduced price meals depends on their family’s annual income, the following are the 2013 eligibility cut offs determined by the USDA (6). For child who is a member of a family of 4, her or she is eligible for reduced price meals if their family income is at 185% of the poverty line, or has an annual income of $43,568.  For a child who is a member of a family of 4, her or she is eligible for free meals if their family income is at 130% of the poverty line, or has an annual income of $30,615.
• For additional information on differences in national school lunch program see:
  • http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/comparison.pdf
  • http://schoolmenu.com/menu/ca/
• In addition to the poor quality of food in schools, there is a lack of education in these topics. Jamie Oliver, a major player in advocating for healthy lifestyles for children illustrates the controversy of how children have the ability to choose what food they eat, but don’t have the knowledge about what foods are healthy pose a direct impediment on their decision-making ability. The food that is offered is not their choice, it is subject to the legislation of larger forces in the government. Out of the options present, children simply choose the food that is more appealing to them.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

• The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, helps low-income individuals purchase nutritious food and provides economic benefits to communities. In 2011, 52 million individuals were eligible for benefits and 41 million received them (2). SNAP was designed to reduced food insecurity in a household due to lack of money or other resources (1). Although it is difficult to measure the benefits of SNAP on food insecurity, the USDA’s household survey data gives a near accurate depiction of the benefits of SNAP. The percentage of households in which children were food insecure decreased by 10.1 percentage points in the longitudinal sample of participants that had been in the program for at least 6 months. (1) SNAP participants reported more frequent trips to the grocery stores or supermarkets to buy food. For urban households with high access to foods, participating in SNAP greatly reduced their food insecurity (1). SNAP is a major player contributing to the war on malnutrition and childhood malnutrition.

Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

• For individuals who are low income (<185% below the poverty line) WIC provides food packages and checks that allow them to purchase food (4).
• Until recently (2009), mothers were able to purchase any type of food with their funding. Following 2009, WIC significantly changed the landscape of foods available to low-income neighborhoods. Not only were they required to purchase fruits and vegetables,whole grains, and low-fat dairy, they were also required to make reductions in juice, cheese, and egg purchases. In addition, WIC effectively promoted breastfeeding by changing the packages available for the mother and child. Mothers were provided meals up to 1 year along with solid food for the baby from 6-12 months. If the mother chose not to breastfeed or partially breastfeed, she was only provided food for 6 months and the baby was provided with less food at 6-12 months. These programs provide food access to the vulnerable, but they also encourage healthy behaviors by conferring immunological benefits as well as decreasing propensity towards weight gain and obesity. (4)

Citations

1. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (August 2013). Measuring the Effect of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participation on Food Security (Summary). Retrieved May 16, 2014.
2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (August 2013). Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participation Rates: Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011- Summary. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
3. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (August 2013). Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Retrieved May 16, 2014.
4. Women, Infants and Children (WIC). (n.d.). WIC Food Packages. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
5. TED. (2010, February 12). Jamie Oliver’s TED Prize wish: Teach every child about food.
6. United States Department of Agriculture. (2013). Food and nutrition service: Children nutrition programs; income and eligibility (FR Doc. C1–2013–06544). Washington, DC: US. Government Printing Office.
7. Snap Image. Retrieved from http://oregonsnapcsa.com/uploads/3/2/3/4/3234553/163361109_orig.jpg?104.
8. WIC Image. Retrieved from https://885fa5ce61295ebf3c84-35b073afd3cf2f7bae35b2b9457774cf.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/cache/news/WIC-1_large.jpg.
9. School Lunch Image. Retrieved from http://www.publicadvocates.org/sites/default/files/blog/school_lunch.jpg.