Donuts, sugary drinks, soda and salty chips are not the kind of midday snacks options I offer my daughter. At home, I do what I can to control what snack options are available to my family, but vending machines and à la carte lines in her school lunch room sabotage my efforts. I know I'm not alone. At a recent drop-in at my daughter's school, the line of students that began at a vending machine stocked with 4-packs of dusted donuts and other unhealthy snacks, seemed a block long.

That's why I am encouraged that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has just released proposed nutritional standards for snacks and beverages that are sold in schools through vending machines, à la carte lines, and school stores.

Join me in sending them real feedback from families with children. SIGN ON HERE: http://action.momsrising.org/sign/NoMoreJunk1/

These standards will help get junk foods out of schools and keep kids eating healthy even when their parents aren't around. But the standards won't be powerful enough without your input.

There are only a few weeks left in the comment period during which the USDA is taking public feedback on their proposed standards. We need your help to make sure that the USDA ends up implementing strong standards that give our children better snack options.

Your feedback is incredibly important! Please take a second to send a message in support of these nutritional standards now. http://action.momsrising.org/sign/NoMoreJunk1/

It's time to update the food choices that our kids have in school. The current standards for snacks and beverages sold in schools were last updated more than 30 years ago. 

Consider this: 40 percent of students buy and eat snack foods at school in a typical day. When schools sell unhealthy snacks and drinks outside of meals, it can cause kids to eat less of their lunch, consume more fat, take in fewer nutrients, and gain weight.

Healthier policies can work. A few years ago, the California state legislature put in place some of the strongest guidelines  in the country on snack food sold in schools. A study from last year found that following that change, kids ate and drank 158 fewer calories per day. This is great news for moms and dads in California because children who are overweight or obese are more likely to suffer from Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Studies also show that revenue wasn’t lost when school districts replaced salty, sugary snacks in vending machines and à la carte lines with healthier snacks.

All school children deserve the best.  Sign this petition asking the USDA to make sure that all schools across the country have healthy options for snack foods.

 *Show your support for healthier snacks and drinks in schools. Sign the petition today! http://action.momsrising.org/sign/NoMoreJunk1/

Together, we are a strong force for women and families.

PS - Do you have a lunchroom horror or success story to share? Send us your story- you can even include a picture! Or just take a few seconds to share a few thoughts about junk foods or lack of junk foods at your children's school. Policymakers need to hear from parents about what's really happening in our children's schools. www.momsrising.org/member_stories/topic/untitled_601/