Gluten-Free School Lunches: Tell the USDA to Provide GF Options

More than three million Americans have celiac disease. Many of these patients are children who cannot get gluten-free lunches at school. Currently the National School Lunch Program does not include any provisions for gluten-free food. The good news is that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is revising the Child Nutrition Act and wants to hear from you to help guide the revision process!

To give you a little background, the Child Nutrition Act includes legislation for the National School Lunch Program. This is the program that provides schools with federal assistance for school lunches. In 2009, the act will be reauthorized and, to help ensure the needs of all Americans are met, the USDA is accepting input on what needs to be changed to improve the program.

Please help improve the lives of children with celiac disease by sending your comments to the USDA. You can fax comments to 703-305-2879 or submit comments online.  

The deadline for submission is October 15, 2008.

Here are a few key points to remember as you submit comments:

- Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disorder that interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. Celiac disease can lead to serious long-term health consequences if it is not treated properly with a 100% gluten-free diet.

- About 1 in 150 children in the United States are affected by Autism. In some cases, a gluten-free, casein-free diet has helped autistic children improve cognitive abilities.

The gluten-free diet means eliminating all forms of wheat, rye and barley. There are three million Americans with celiac disease, many of whom are children attending school. These children cannot take full advantage of federal nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program because gluten-free options are not always available or easily identifiable on menus.

The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness is asking the USDA to include the following items when the Child Nutrition Act is reauthorized in 2009:

-Gluten-free alternatives should be available and reimbursable. Consuming gluten-free food is not a choice for patients with celiac disease, rather it is a medical nutritional therapy and the only treatment for the disease.

-Gluten-free alternatives should be available every day for all meal and snack times.

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your comments with the USDA and for helping all children with celiac receive gluten-free food options at school.

Comments

[tique oeflein]

Please allow gluten free options at school!!

[vendinginschools]

It is very conscientious of you to bring attention to this cause! I'm sure many people aren't aware of the connection between these ingredients and the diseases.

[Vicki Kent]

I have a ten year old son who gets seizures when he eats gluten. He missed school this week because I was too ill to make him lunch and I would not send him to school without something to eat. But there is no alternative for him at school. PLEASE.

[Allison Baxley]

My Autistic son must maintain a gluten free diet for optimum brain health. please offer gluten free school lunches.

[Kirsten Goldsworthy]

Please offer gluten free school lunches. Help give back some form of normalsy to my son. There seem to be options for other special needs, please include this one as well.