11/02/2011

Senate moves to prevent the Obama administration from "putting any limits on serving potatoes or other vegetables in school lunches"

The Federal government is regulating the vegetables that local public schools can include in lunches? From the Deseret News:

Agriculture Department rules proposed earlier this year aimed to reduce the amount of french fries in schools, limiting lunchrooms to two servings a week of potatoes and other starchy vegetables. That angered the potato industry and members of Congress from potato-growing states, who say USDA should focus on the preparation instead and that potatoes can be a good source of fiber and potassium.

Following a bipartisan agreement on the issue, the Senate by voice vote accepted an amendment by Republican Sen. Susan Collins that would block USDA from putting any limits on serving potatoes or other vegetables in school lunches.

Collins, who is from Maine, a potato-growing state, says the vegetables are a cheaper and nutritious way to feed children when school budgets are strapped.

"This proposed rule would have imposed significant and needless costs on our nation's school districts at a time when they can least afford it," she said. . . . .

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