EL PASO, Texas – (KFOX14/CBS4) — The El Paso community and local schools are reacting to the USDA’s new dietary guidelines, unveiled by the Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee, which aim to prioritize proteins and reduce added sugars in school meals.
These guidelines, updated every five years in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, are not legally binding but are widely used by food assistance programs, including school lunches.
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Dr. Hassan Salloum, a pediatrician at The Hospitals of Providence, noted that the guidelines align with existing recommendations.
“Part of it is very accurate. And this is what I recommend that the, protein and plant recommends,” he said. He emphasized the importance of a healthy lifestyle for children, recommending natural foods and activities like play and sleep.
Shelly Chenausky, director of children’s nutrition at the Socorro School District, stated that they have been prioritizing proteins for years.
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“That’s something that we’ve been working on for years and years and years. So with these changes, it’s a little bit of tweaking, making it a little bit stricter, but we’re definitely ready for it,” she said.
Public reactions to the guidelines have been positive.
One commenter said on Facebook, “Yes, time to get back to single-ingredient meals. If you can’t pronounce it, you shouldn’t eat it.”
Another commenter added, “It doesn’t matter who said it, left or right, what they said is better informed and backed by gym science.”
Efforts to reach other local school districts for comment were unsuccessful at the time of this report.
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