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Kids’ Safe & Healthful Food Project

February 15, 2014  • 

Over the last four decades, rates of obesity have more than quadrupled among U.S children and more than tripled among adolescents. Today, more than 23.5 million kids are overweight or obese placing them at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure and other serious chronic diseases. With recent studies showing that kids consume up to half of their total daily calories at school, the food and beverages sold at school have a big impact on children’s diets.

The Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project, a collaboration between The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, provides nonpartisan analysis and evidence-based recommendations to make sure that all foods and beverages sold in U.S. schools are safe and healthful. The project is working to ensure:

  • The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) adopts science-based nutrition standards for snack foods and beverages served and sold in schools;
  • Schools have the resources they need to train cafeteria employees and replace outdated and broken kitchen equipment; and
  • The USDA develops and implements rigorous school food safety policies.

Visit the Kids’ Safe & Healthful Food Project’s website to learn more about how this organization is promoting safe and healthy school foods now.