The Trump Administration Is Rolling Back Obama-Era School Lunch Policies

The 44th First Lady's school lunch changes may be in jeopardy thanks to the loosening up of regulations proposed by the Trump administration.

Throughout much of the Obama administration, Michelle Obama made children's health her first priority, largely by emphasizing nutrition and exercise in schools. When policies rolled out starting in 2012 that tightened the hold on what could be served at public school cafeterias (lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables) and required some unhealthy foods to be reduced (salty and fatty foods like pizza and French fries), critics felt that the "policing" of school food made lunch inedible to children.

The new school lunch policies were far from popular with students with the recurring hashtag #ThanksMichelleObama showing up on tweeted pictures of mystery mush.

@kw4congress @JanJohnsonFL #propaganda #ThanksMichelleObama

That's just what they told you hun. pic.twitter.com/vB6fyXtwyR

— skro (@SupSkro) February 16, 2017

But now, the new secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, is said to be rolling back these mandatory policies and giving schools "regulatory flexibility" regarding the National School Lunch Program. Perdue and Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) are making the official announcement at the Catoctin Elementary School in Leesburg, Virginia, where they will be eating school lunch food with students.

Roberts introduced a bill last year that, had it been passed, would have eased some school lunch regulations and given schools two more years to comply with federal standards.

News that the Trump administration would be easing some of these recent regulations has been received with critical pushback from nutrition advocates.