Louisiana School Lunches About to Change? What Parents Need to Know

SHREVEPORT, LA – Things could be changing for school lunches in Louisiana. A senate committee has passed a measure to ban schools from serving ultra-processed foods to children.

Covington Senator Patrick McMath has convinced the Senate Health and Welfare Committee to pass a measure that puts in place a comprehensive nutrition plan that would ban schools from serving lunches that are not healthy for students. McMath tells KEEL News child obesity is a real problem, and Louisiana needs to do a better job in prioritizing health.

The measure passed on a 4-3 vote in the committee. Many of the opponents focused on a provision in the bill that prohibits SNAP recipients from using their benefits to purchase soft drinks. The Democrats on the Committee says this measure dictates what low-income parents can purchase with their SNAP benefits. Monroe Senator Katrina Jackson-Andrews was the first one to speak out. She says “the concern is that we are singling out low income parents from making the choice for their children.”

READ MORE: Possible Ban on SNAP Benefit Purchases

She also raised concerns about other drinks that might be banned from SNAP.

“Gatorade and Powerade is included, right? A child that’s playing football or playing sports, it may be included in the definition, but sometimes they need that to rehydrate.”

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If approved, this package of nutrition changes would have to be approved by the USDA, but McMath says he does not think there will be a problem with that.

The measure is now headed to the Senate floor for debate and final passage.