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Vilsack wants greater school lunch, breakfast reach

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the school lunch and breakfast program should be expanded.

“I think it’s fair to say that a youngster who goes to school hungry is one who is probably not going to be able to perform at his or her peak,” said Vilsack Thursday during a conference call with reporters.

School breakfasts reach about 11 million children daily, while about 31 million children are served school lunches, Vilsack pointed out.

Also on the call, Education Secretary Arne Duncan said greater participation is needed in both.

“If we don’t something on the nutrition side, or if we don’t something about physical activity, our children will never be able as successful as they could be and we want them to be educationally,” said Duncan.

Vilsack says that for a variety of reasons, many children who qualify are not participating in school breakfast or lunch programs. The programs are components of the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act.