Healthy meals can lead to success during the school year. (Photo courtesy USDA)

Reading, writing, and arithmetic aren’t the only things our nation’s children will be learning this school year!

Schools have made major strides in helping students learn the importance of healthy eating through balanced meals and nutrition education. Now that kids and teens are boarding their buses for another school year, the entire school community has the opportunity to build on that momentum by continuing to increase access to nutritious meals and encourage healthy habits.

Schools are also working hard to implement new food marketing and local wellness standards authorized by HHFKA that will go into effect next June. These standards ensure that any marketing message kids are exposed to at school promotes only tasty, nutritious food options that complement the nutrition lessons they are learning in the classroom and the cafeteria. And here at USDA, we’re working hard to support them – through webinars, guidance, training, and more.

Looking ahead at this school year, we are excited to see how school nutrition professionals will continue to empower students with the nutrition, tools, and education they need to pursue a tomorrow of endless possibility.

For further information on Food and Nutrition Service’s school meal programs, visit our website.

Check out our Back to School Toolkit featuring resources for schools to share with parents and families on how to make healthy eating fun and easy.

Dr. Katie Wilson is Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.