WEBVTT 00:01.966 --> 00:04.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% JUDY WOODRUFF: When Michelle Obama was first lady, one of her key initiatives was to push 00:04.500 --> 00:09.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% for healthier nutrition and food choices. That translated into a change for public school 00:10.366 --> 00:12.466 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% lunches around the country. 00:12.466 --> 00:16.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But the Trump administration and some state officials argue that the Obama administration 00:16.900 --> 00:21.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% went too far, and this administration has been rolling back some of those moves. 00:24.400 --> 00:27.300 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% As Amna Nawaz tells us, today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed additional changes. 00:28.166 --> 00:30.166 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: That's right, Judy. 00:30.166 --> 00:34.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The Trump administration already changed the Obama standards for whole grains, sodium and 00:36.166 --> 00:38.933 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% nonfat milk. Today, it approached new rules that would role back the amount of fruits 00:38.933 --> 00:42.966 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% and vegetables required at school breakfasts and lunches. 00:42.966 --> 00:47.933 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% These programs feed nearly 30 million students around the country. Some advocates are worried 00:48.700 --> 00:50.933 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% about these changes. 00:50.933 --> 00:53.766 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% Crystal FitzSimons is among them. She's the director of school and out of school programs 00:53.766 --> 00:58.733 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% at the Food Research and Action Center, an advocacy group that targets hunger and undernutrition. 01:00.100 --> 01:02.166 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% Welcome back to the "NewsHour." 01:02.166 --> 01:04.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% CRYSTAL FITZSIMONS, Food and Research Action Center: Thank you for having me on today. 01:04.200 --> 01:06.666 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% AMNA NAWAZ: So, the justification from the administration is, look, the Obama era rules 01:06.666 --> 01:10.100 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% led to low participation from schools and a lot more food waste. 01:10.100 --> 01:14.900 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% The agriculture secretary, Sonny Perdue, actually said, this is commonsense flexibility that 01:14.900 --> 01:19.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% these programs need to continue to provide nutritious school lunches and breakfasts. 01:19.066 --> 01:20.533 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% What do you say to that? 01:20.533 --> 01:22.566 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% CRYSTAL FITZSIMONS: Well, I would say that that's not right. 01:22.566 --> 01:27.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I think that we need to be providing the most healthy meals possible. The changes that were 01:29.466 --> 01:31.900 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% made under the Obama administration really did a lot to help improve the nutrition quality 01:31.900 --> 01:36.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% of the meals that are being served. And we know that more than 30 million kids are relying 01:36.733 --> 01:40.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% on school lunch each day for healthy lunches. 01:40.133 --> 01:42.266 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% And we should be providing the healthiest lunches possible. 01:42.266 --> 01:46.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: But was there, as a result of those regulations, low participation and an 01:46.400 --> 01:48.433 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% increase in food waste? Do we know that? 01:48.433 --> 01:52.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% CRYSTAL FITZSIMONS: No, we know that there is participation, that participation has been 01:53.500 --> 01:55.566 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% remaining pretty strong. 01:55.566 --> 01:59.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And we know that there are lots of things that contribute to kids not eating their lunches. 01:59.433 --> 02:04.133 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% Kids really do need to have enough time in order to eat their lunches. And too many schools 02:04.133 --> 02:08.066 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% actually do not provide enough time during the lunch hour. 02:08.066 --> 02:12.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And we know that there's millions of kids who live in households that struggle against 02:12.133 --> 02:16.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% hunger. And we know that we have a huge obesity epidemic. And we really need to be working 02:16.966 --> 02:21.966 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% hard to make sure that we're providing fruits and vegetables, healthy food, whole grains, 02:23.966 --> 02:26.500 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% low sodium, all those good things that are going to allow kids to get the nutrition they 02:26.500 --> 02:28.533 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% need to learn and be healthy. 02:28.533 --> 02:31.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: Help me put sort of a finer point on it here to understand what this looks like. 02:31.933 --> 02:36.166 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% So, previously, a standard breakfast, say, under the previous rules, they had to provide 02:36.166 --> 02:38.966 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% one cup of fruit. What would be different now under the new rules? 02:38.966 --> 02:41.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% CRYSTAL FITZSIMONS: So now they would be required to provide just half-a-cup. 02:41.933 --> 02:43.466 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: Just half-a-cup. 02:43.466 --> 02:46.033 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% CRYSTAL FITZSIMONS: And so there would be less fruit on the tray. 02:46.033 --> 02:51.033 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And that flexibility -- we want kids to be eating fruit. We want the schools to be offering 02:53.100 --> 02:56.066 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% healthy fruit. We want them to be introducing fruit to kids and different kinds of fruit. 02:58.066 --> 03:00.833 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And we want schools to be working hard to make sure that they're providing appealing 03:00.833 --> 03:02.933 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% meals. 03:02.933 --> 03:05.066 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% AMNA NAWAZ: A lot of the headlines are talking about burgers and french fries as well. Under 03:05.066 --> 03:09.866 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% the previous rules, schools had to provide at lunchtime at least a sort of variety of 03:09.866 --> 03:11.066 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% vegetables. 03:11.066 --> 03:12.000 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% What's new? What would be different? 03:12.000 --> 03:14.466 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% CRYSTAL FITZSIMONS: Right. 03:14.466 --> 03:17.766 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% So there's more flexibility in providing vegetables. So we would expect to see more french fries 03:17.766 --> 03:19.900 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% on the school lunch tray. 03:19.900 --> 03:22.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: And so here's the question, because, obviously, you're assuming that they will 03:22.333 --> 03:27.133 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% take the lower nutritional value option, if given the option here. 03:27.133 --> 03:30.733 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% I want to put to you, though, the statement from the School Nutrition Association, right? 03:30.733 --> 03:35.733 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% This is the organization of cafeteria workers, all the businesses that provide the food to 03:36.866 --> 03:39.366 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% those schools. They welcomed these changes. 03:39.366 --> 03:42.500 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% And they said, look, the upgraded nutrition standards for school meals have been a tremendous 03:42.500 --> 03:46.233 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% success overall. But then they cited the same things the administration did, saying that 03:46.233 --> 03:49.633 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% there has been reduced participation and higher costs. 03:49.633 --> 03:53.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% You're assuming that they will provide less healthy options, but might they uphold the 03:53.600 --> 03:56.066 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% same nutritional standards even if they're not required to? 03:56.066 --> 03:59.200 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% CRYSTAL FITZSIMONS: So there are plenty of schools across the country that are not going 03:59.200 --> 04:03.100 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to roll back the standards. There are a lot of school nutrition departments and a lot 04:03.100 --> 04:06.700 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% of school districts that are really committed to providing healthy meals. 04:06.700 --> 04:11.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% But we want to make sure that kids in Oregon have as healthy meals as kids in Illinois, 04:13.333 --> 04:16.766 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% and kids in Alabama need to have as healthy meals as kids in California. 04:16.766 --> 04:21.466 align:left position:20% line:71% size:70% We really -- it's a national program. We need national standards, and we need to make sure 04:21.466 --> 04:23.566 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% that kids are getting healthy food. 04:23.566 --> 04:26.533 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% AMNA NAWAZ: When you look at the student population, you know who participates and who relies on 04:26.533 --> 04:28.633 align:left position:20% line:89% size:70% a lot of these programs. 04:28.633 --> 04:31.700 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Who are you worried is going to be most affected by these potential changes and how? 04:31.700 --> 04:33.800 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% CRYSTAL FITZSIMONS: Right. 04:33.800 --> 04:36.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So, the vast majority of kids who participate in the school lunch program are low-income 04:36.333 --> 04:41.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% and do receive either free or reduced-price school lunches. And we know that those meals 04:43.200 --> 04:46.400 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% are actually often the meals that they're going to be relying on and their only meals. 04:46.400 --> 04:50.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So we want to make sure they're healthy. And we need to make sure that they have access 04:50.600 --> 04:55.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% to them. And schools can do a lot to reduce - - can reduce plate waste by making sure that 04:56.800 --> 04:59.133 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% they do have enough time to eat. 04:59.133 --> 05:03.933 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So there are strategies. Schools are doing salad bars. Schools are doing farm to school. 05:03.933 --> 05:08.400 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% There's really wonderful, creative ways that schools across the country are making sure 05:08.400 --> 05:11.700 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% that kids want to eat their fruits and vegetables. And we want to make sure that's happening 05:11.700 --> 05:13.700 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% in every school. 05:13.700 --> 05:16.600 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% And we do not want to see these rollbacks to the school nutrition standards. 05:16.600 --> 05:18.133 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% AMNA NAWAZ: Just a few seconds left. 05:18.133 --> 05:20.600 align:left position:10% line:83% size:80% I should mention this is a proposed new rule, right? 05:20.600 --> 05:22.233 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% CRYSTAL FITZSIMONS: It is, yes. 05:22.233 --> 05:24.300 align:left position:20% line:77% size:70% AMNA NAWAZ: It goes into an open comment period in the coming days. 05:24.300 --> 05:26.566 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Do you see this as a done deal? Do you think there's any way that these rules don't go 05:26.566 --> 05:28.666 align:left position:40% line:89% size:50% through? 05:28.666 --> 05:31.466 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% CRYSTAL FITZSIMONS: Well, I think it's not a done deal if everybody responds and submits 05:31.466 --> 05:33.566 align:left position:30% line:89% size:60% comments. 05:33.566 --> 05:36.433 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% So there's a huge opportunity here to weigh in on this, to let people know that we don't 05:36.433 --> 05:41.333 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% want to see these standards rolled back. And people should really take that step and take 05:41.333 --> 05:45.933 align:left position:10% line:71% size:80% the time to let the administration know that they want healthy meals in their school breakfast 05:45.933 --> 05:47.133 align:left position:10% line:89% size:80% and school lunch programs. 05:47.133 --> 05:49.166 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% AMNA NAWAZ: This is such an important topic. 05:49.166 --> 05:52.633 align:left position:10% line:77% size:80% Crystal FitzSimons of the Food Research and Action Center, thanks for being with us again. 05:52.633 --> 05:53.066 align:left position:20% line:83% size:70% CRYSTAL FITZSIMONS: Thank you for having me.