As a partner in the Voices for Healthy Kids Coalition, Gasol Foundation USA is proud to join our public health colleagues in supporting California State Senator Nancy Skinner’s (D-Berkeley) SB 348, Healthy Meals for Kids, which would set guidelines for the amount of sugar and sodium added to school meals in all California K-12 schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program. Why is this important? According to health professionals, children who consume less than 25 grams of added sugar per day are more likely to experience better health outcomes–and children consume most of their daily calories through school meals during the week. “SB 348 will ensure that California’s school meals are nutritious and that California is a leader in the fight against childhood diabetes and other medical conditions…Our schools should not put children at risk with unhealthy meals that have too much sugar and sodium,” said California State Senator Nancy Skinner.
Gasol Foundation USA has multiple partnerships and collaborations that parallel their mission supporting children’s wellness. In September 2022, the Gasol Foundation USA was invited to the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, and made a commitment to policies that improve nutrition and physical activity for health. Gasol Foundation USA is also a member of Voices for Healthy Kids, a national partnership led by the American Heart Association to advocate for equitable policies that increase children’s access to healthy food, beverages, and other resources.
“As Gasol Foundation USA continues to expand our impact on children’s wellness by teaching proven healthy habits, we collaborate to improve health outcomes and in the fight against the obesity epidemic… We support this bill because it is a crucial step in ensuring that every California student has access to more nutritious freshly-prepared meals.”
– Hector De La Torre, Gasol Foundation USA Executive Director
In addition to the sugar and sodium standards, SB 348 builds on the guarantee of a free, nutritious breakfast and lunch each school day in the School Meals for All program; augments locally sourced California ingredients for school meals; and requires more time for students to eat those meals at school. Gasol Foundation USA will provide regular updates as SB 348 makes its way through the legislative process. Join our Advocates List to stay updated.
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