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New rules aim to get rid of junk foods in schools

February 2, 2013 | 1:28 pm | Modified: February 2, 2013 at 1:30 pm
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Photo - FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2012 file photo, side salads, apple sauce and plums await the students of Eastside Elementary School in Clinton, Miss. The government for the first time is proposing broad new standards to make school snacks healthier, a move that would ban the sale of almost all candy, high-calorie sports drinks and greasy foods on campus. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
FILE - In this Sept. 12, 2012 file photo, side salads, apple sauce and plums await the students of Eastside Elementary School in Clinton, Miss. The government for the first time is proposing broad new standards to make school snacks healthier, a move that would ban the sale of almost all candy, high-calorie sports drinks and greasy foods on campus. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Almost all candy, high-calorie drinks and greasy meals could soon be on a food blacklist in the nation's schools.

For the first time, the government is proposing broad new standards to make sure all foods sold in schools are more healthful.

Under new rules that the Agriculture Department proposed Friday, fatty chips, snack cakes, nachos and mozzarella sticks would be out when it comes to lunch lines and vending machines.

What sorts of foods are "in"? Baked chips, trail mix, diet sodas, lower-calorie sports drinks and low-fat hamburgers.

The new rules, required under a child nutrition law passed by Congress in 2010, are part of the government's effort to combat childhood obesity.

The Agriculture Department would set fat, calorie, sugar and sodium limits on almost all foods sold in schools.

From WeeklyStandard.com