As a mom of three kids, who has pushed fruits and vegetables and shunned public school lunches for 17 years, the USDA law banning junk food and requiring that real food be sold couldn’t make me any happier.

It gives me hope we are moving in a heather direction.

More importantly, this is incredible news given the current health of our youth in America.

Elephant journal has been a big proponent of nutrition for children and has previously reported on it in written blogs, such as the one concerning the obesity time lapse map and on Walk the Talk Show with Waylon Lewis, such as when he interviewed Chef Ann Cooper. Needless to say, this is a topic near and dear to many people in the mindful community.

At first I didn’t believe it, but it is true and all laid out in a printed and enforceable law. There will even be penalties for schools that don’t comply.

Further, these laws will change the food in schools across the board—in snack vending machines, a-la-carte lunches, lunches, bake sales and in teachers’ lounges that students have access to.

Nutrition through diet seems to finally matter for the health of the kids in the United States and if schools don’t comply they risk fines and loosing federally funded money.

While many children and their parents will no-doubt balk at this news, people like Jamie Oliver, Michelle Obama and many informed parents will be jumping for joy. I predict the children that are raised in this new system will get used to the new diet and grow up healthier because of it.

Some people are naturally skeptical or critical of the law and feel that not enough is being done or that loopholes will be found. I read comments on Reddit with many people predicting ‘black market’ foods being sold from the ‘bad’ kids out of their lockers, which has purportedly happened in other countries with stricter guidelines, such as Canada.

Others are critical that non-fat milk will be allowed with sugary flavorings added.

Whatever your opinion, this is big news and will affect a huge portion of our society.

Is this is enough to turn around the health crisis facing our youth? Well, that remains to be seen.

A basic summery of the 54-page USDA guidelines can be found in the written FOX news report here.

I also found the following video helpful in understanding the new laws:

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Editor: Renée Picard

Photo: Wikimedia Commons