BROOKE ROLLINS, DR. BEN CARSON: We are putting real food back on school lunch trays

America has long been known as a land of opportunity. It’s a place where every child, no matter where they were born or the circumstances they face, has the chance to chase their God-given potential. Whether you grew up on a farm in rural Texas or in the inner city of Detroit, America is a place that has always shown that with hard work, determination and the freedom to dream, there is no limit to what a person can achieve.

But along the way, there are certain habits that fuel our endurance or restrain it. And a big contributor to how effectively we can chase those dreams is our health.

In recent years, it’s no secret that America has been battling a chronic health crisis. The Centers for Disease Control reports that more than 75% of adults in the U.S. have at least one chronic health condition. And a recent study indicates poor health trends among children have worsened significantly over the past 20 years. The data shows that poor nutrition is among the causes of these startling health statistics.

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But there is good news — the Trump administration is working to change this trend. We know that good health starts with good nutrition, so to springboard the effort to Make America Healthy Again, USDA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services jointly introduced the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans earlier this year.

Relying on gold standard science, the Dietary Guidelines translate decades of nutrition research into practical recommendations that promote health across every stage of life.

The goal is simple: eat real food. It is well known that highly processed sugary foods can make the body feel sluggish and sick. Although they feed cravings, they don’t do much for the development of growing minds and bodies. On the other hand, whole, nutrient-dense foods are minimally processed and provide nourishment and the real fuel that growing kids need.

That’s why the Trump administration is partnering with states and local school districts to implement innovative ways to get whole, nutrient-dense foods to our kids. Through the State Early Action Pledge, states and local school districts across the country are voluntarily implementing one or more of the healthy options outlined in the updated Dietary Guidelines in the new school year — including serving whole milk to kids for the first time in more than a decade!

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Of course, America’s farmers and ranchers are also an essential part of feeding flourishing families. Every healthy school meal begins with the hardworking producers who grow our fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy products and protein. By strengthening the connection between schools and local agriculture, we support both children’s health and rural economies.

USDA’s Farm to School Grant Program, which awarded two cohorts totaling nearly $20 million in the last three months, connects farmers to children by incorporating local foods into school meals, summer meals and childcare settings.

This year, we implemented several improvements designed to streamline the grant application process, remove barriers, promote larger-scale partnerships and empower farm-to-school programs to achieve bigger, bolder goals on behalf of our children.

For example, for its Powered by Protein project, first-time grantee Foundation for Food and Farm Connections will partner with 10 school districts, a large food service company, the Missouri Farm Bureau and the Missouri Association of Meat Producers.

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This project will help schools to source local beef, pork, and poultry by strengthening every link in the farm-to-farschool supply chain — from producers and processors to school nutrition staff and classrooms.

These exciting new projects and partnerships prove that healthy school meals are about far more than what appears on a lunch tray. They represent an investment in the future of our great nation. They strengthen American agriculture by creating reliable markets for farmers and ranchers. They support local communities by bringing schools, families and producers together around a common purpose. And they demonstrate what has been common sense all along: good nutrition and strong agriculture go hand in hand.

Benjamin S. Carson Sr., M.D. was the 17th secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. He is the founder and chairman of the American Cornerstone Institute and an Emeritus Professor of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

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