SNA Calls for Funding to Implement MAHA Strategy
Comments on UPFs flag resources needed to further school meal successes
ARLINGTON, VA – The non-profit School Nutrition Association (SNA) welcomed the release of the MAHA Commission’s Make Our Children Healthy Again Strategy and urged Congress and the Administration to increase funding for school meal programs. As school nutrition professionals work to expand scratch cooking and address ultra-processed foods (UPFs), SNA echoed the call for funds in comments submitted to the Administration’s Request for Information (RFI) on the definition of UPFs.
“SNA looks forward to working with the MAHA Commission and Congress in our collective effort to tackle childhood chronic disease,” said SNA President Stephanie Dillard, MS, SNS. “SNA members appreciate the Commission’s desire to comprehensively support children’s well-being, addressing activity levels, mental health and environment, in addition to diet. School nutrition professionals remain committed to ensuring school meal programs are a leading source of balanced nutrition to fuel students for success in and out of the classroom.”
SNA’s comments to the RFI highlighted ongoing efforts to expand scratch preparation, increase the amount of fresh produce offered to students and work with suppliers to reduce sodium, calories and added sugar in pre-prepared menu options to meet federal nutrition standards.
SNA supports the Commission’s desire to establish a federal definition of UPFs with a thoughtful rulemaking process and conduct further research to examine their impact on health. The comments stressed the need for a UPF definition to “be both scientifically sound and operationally feasible” for under-resourced schools:
“schools simply lack the staff, equipment, infrastructure, time and critical funding to scratch prepare all menu options for students. Any federal restrictions on UPFs that affect school nutrition standards must consider these limitations and ensure that schools are permitted to serve nutrient-dense, pre-prepared foods. In addition, school meal programs require additional funding to successfully implement further menu changes.”
SNA highlighted problems with the commonly used Nova classification for processed foods, which defines UPFs too broadly, for example, lumping hummus in the same ultra-processed category as cupcakes. SNA emphasized:
“a new federal definition of UPFs should incorporate nutrient density as a key factor to ensure that healthful, culturally relevant, and practical foods are not unnecessarily excluded from federal nutrition programs”
The comments also stressed that food safety must be considered when developing a definition for UPFs and that in addition to funding, schools require adequate time to successfully implement any new menu changes.
As school meal programs struggle with persistently high food, labor and equipment costs, SNA’s 2025 Position Paper urges Congress to increase federal reimbursements for school meals.
About School Nutrition Association:
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing 50,000 school nutrition professionals across the country. Founded in 1946, SNA and its members are dedicated to making healthy school meals and nutrition education available to all students. For more information on school meals, visit www.SchoolNutrition.org/SchoolMeals.
Related Articles
