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Over 7,000 People Spoke Up for School Food Nutrition



7,492 people—including members of Salud America!—submitted public comments to address concerns over a USDA proposal to weaken school food nutrition standards. The proposal, brought forth on Nov. 25, 2020, would allow flavored, low-fat milk, cut whole grain-rich servings in half, and ease restrictions on sodium to enable nutrition directors more time to meet sodium reduction targets. The proposal was open for public comment from Nov. 25 to Dec. 28, 2020. A federal advisory committee will consider the public comments and release a finalized version of the rule in spring 2021, according to the School Nutrition Association. "For the health of Latino and all children, I urge the USDA to preserve strong nutrition standards for meals served in schools. Providing 'flexibility' by ...

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Comment Now: USDA Wants to Weaken School Food Nutrition Standards Again



Once again, the Trump administration is going after school nutrition guidelines. A USDA proposal brought forth on Nov. 25, 2020, would allow flavored, low-fat milk, cut whole grain-rich servings in half, and ease restrictions on sodium to enable nutrition directors more time to meet sodium reduction targets. This isn’t the first time the administration has tried to weaken school food nutrition. Just a few months ago, the U.S. Agriculture Department sought to ease restrictions on sodium and whole-grain requirements in school meals, but a federal district judge struck it down due to violations of regulatory law, according to The New York Times. The proposed rule is open for public comment until Dec. 28, 2020. Leave a comment to speak up for school food nutrition! Comment ...

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7 Holiday Actions to Speak Up for Health Equity!


health equity for population diversity and holiday action

Volunteering for Christmas and New Year’s helps other people and is proven to give the volunteer an emotional boost, too. So why not volunteer your “voice”? Speak up with these seven actions to promote health equity for Latino and all families this holiday season! 1. Share Messages to Slow the Spread of COVID-19 COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact Latinos. As Latinos, we are resilient. But part of our resiliency requires action to slow the spread of COVID-19! That’s why Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio launched the “Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19” digital communication campaign in English and Spanish to help Latino families and workers take action to slow the spread of coronavirus. The #JuntosStopCovid campaign features culturally relevant and ...

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New Latino Bilingual Campaign: Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19!


Juntos We Can Stop Covid campaign against coronavirus

COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact Latinos, killing over 53,000 and hospitalizing many more of our mothers, fathers, children, and grandparents. That is why Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio is launching the “Juntos, We Can Stop COVID-19” digital communication campaign in English and Spanish to help Latino families take action to slow the spread of coronavirus, especially among those with underlying illnesses. The campaign features culturally relevant, bilingual fact sheets, infographics, and video role model stories—all united with the hashtag #JuntosStopCovid. See and share #JuntosStopCovid! share the campaign in ENGLISH! share the campaign in SPANISH! “As Latinos, we are resilient. But part of our resiliency requires action, like getting the ...

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38,367 Speak Up for Healthier Nutrition Guidelines!


nutrition guidelines for healthy food equity produce vegetables fruits trays

Thank you to the 38,367 people—including over 800 Salud America! members—who submitted public comments for better nutrition and limited added sugars for the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans! These comments are the latest step in shaping the guidelines. USDA and HHS update the guidelines every five years. They are the leading set of nutrition standards for people, health professionals, and federal food programs. Submitted between mid-July and mid-August 2020, the new comments arrive after an initial 55,000 public comments between winter 2019 and spring 2020. A federal committee then released a scientific report to inform the guidelines. Recommendations include no sugary drinks for children up to age 2 and less alcohol intake for men. Now we await the release the ...

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Tell USDA: Limit Added Sugars in Dietary Guidelines!


Latno boy drinking water no sugary drinks in us dietary guidelines

Submit a comment to support strong limits on added sugars and no sugary drinks for toddlers in the scientific report that will help shape the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. A federal committee released the scientific report on July 15, 2020, after spending months reviewing data and over 55,000 public comments—including some from Salud America! members. USDA and HHS will use the scientific report and comments to draft the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. You can comment on the report through Aug. 13, 2020. Marion Nestle, a nutrition researcher, told CNN that the report has "stronger recommendations" than past guidelines. This includes no sugary drinks for children up to age 2. "At the outset, I was concerned that the committee members might be ...

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