Salt Institute Applauds U.S. Senators Hoeven (R-ND) and King (I-ME) for Supporting School Lunch Flexibility
Alexandria, VA (PRWEB) May 13, 2015 -- The Salt Institute applauds United States Senators John Hoeven (R-ND) and Angus King (I-ME) for introducing the Healthy School Meals Flexibility Act (S.1146). This legislation is designed to help local schools provide healthy meals for school children free from further federal requirements regarding sodium and whole grains.
“Salads and vegetables are critical to a good diet but research from Ohio State University has shown that reducing salt makes vegetables less palatable and as a result kids reject them. Another research study published in the science journal Appetite also found that teenagers especially need sufficient salt for good growth. And most recently a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics of adolescent girls found that consuming salt well above the recommended guidelines had no negative effect on health or blood pressure,” said Lori Roman, President of the Salt Institute.
“The entire effort to reduce salt bellow what kids find acceptable is self-defeating,” said Roman. “Kids simply refuse to eat the school lunches provided and instead end up eating far less healthy snacks outside of school to make up for the lack of sodium in their diets.”
According to Senator Hoeven’s office, The Healthy School Meals Flexibility Act “prevents USDA from requiring further sodium reductions in school meals below the current Target 1 level, which became effective in July 2014. If additional sodium reductions are implemented, schools would have a difficult time meeting targets when serving healthy foods with naturally occurring sodium, including milk, cheese and meat.”
“Americans already consume sodium well within what experts consider the healthy range. Low sodium diets have been shown to cause insulin resistance and increased mortality,” added Roman.
The Salt Institute is a North American based non-profit trade association dedicated to advancing the many benefits of salt, particularly to ensure winter roadway safety, quality water and healthy nutrition.
Laura Elliott, Salt Institute, http://www.saltinstitute.org/, +1 (703) 549-4648, [email protected]
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