Panel urges calorie limits on school lunches

From The Los Angeles Times: An Institute of Medicine committee is recommending that children in school cafeterias get fewer French fries and more dark green vegetables. In addition, for the first time in the National School Lunch Program, the committee is calling for calorie limits on student meals. The lunch recommendations allot 650 calories for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, 700 calories in sixth to eighth grade, and 850 calories in high school. Breakfasts should not be above 500, 550 and 600, respectively, for the same grade levels, the committee says. Recommendations from the panel, made up of scientists and school food officials, must be approved by the Department of Agriculture.