Ketchup as a vegetable facts for kids
The idea of ketchup as a vegetable caused a big stir in 1981. This happened when the USDA suggested new rules for school lunches. These rules aimed to give schools more freedom in planning meals. This was needed because the government had cut funding for school lunch programs.
The proposed changes meant schools could count certain foods differently. For example, pickle relish was mentioned as something that could count as a vegetable. Even though ketchup wasn't named, people quickly focused on it. They worried that kids would get less healthy meals.
A similar debate happened in 2011. Congress passed a law that stopped the USDA from requiring more tomato paste to count as a vegetable. This meant that pizza with just two tablespoons of tomato paste could still be considered to have a vegetable serving.
Contents
Why the Ketchup Controversy Started
In the early 1980s, the U.S. government made big cuts to school lunch budgets. These cuts came from laws passed in 1980 and 1981. Because of less money, the USDA had to find ways for schools to still offer meals. They needed to do this while keeping some nutrition standards.
So, in September 1981, the USDA suggested new rules. These rules were meant to give local school lunch managers more flexibility. They could count certain food items differently to meet nutrition goals. For example, the rules suggested that a condiment like pickle relish could count as a vegetable.
Even though ketchup wasn't directly named, it became the main focus. Many people, including politicians and the media, were very upset. They criticized the government for cutting school lunch money. They felt it was wrong to let condiments like ketchup count as vegetables. News reports made fun of the idea. One reporter called it "the Emperor's new condiments."
How School Lunch Rules Changed Over Time
The rules for school lunches have a long history. They started with laws designed to keep kids healthy and use farm products.
Early School Lunch Programs
The National School Lunch Act of 1946 created the school lunch program. Its goal was to help American children stay healthy. It also aimed to help farmers by buying their products. This law made sure eligible students could get free or low-cost lunches. These meals had to meet certain nutrition rules.
Later, the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 made the program even stronger. It added support for breakfast programs and other needs. This act also put the USDA in charge of managing the school lunch program.
Budget Cuts and New Rules
In 1980 and 1981, new laws were passed that cut funding for school lunch programs. These cuts were part of a bigger plan to reduce government spending. For example, the 1981 law reduced the budget by 25 percent.
Because of these cuts, the USDA had to find ways to save money. They still needed to make sure kids got nutritious meals. The law asked the USDA to find all possible ways to lower costs for schools. It also said that meals didn't have to provide a specific amount of daily nutrients anymore.
USDA's Proposed Changes for School Lunches
The USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) had to come up with new rules quickly. At that time, over 26 million children ate school lunches. Many of them received free or reduced-price meals.
The FNS talked to school lunch managers across the country. They wanted to know how to make meal planning easier and cheaper. School managers often felt that the old rules were too strict. They wanted more freedom to choose what foods to serve.
Main Goals of the New Plan
The FNS proposed plan had three main goals:
- Make it simpler to manage school lunch programs.
- Reduce the required portion sizes for meals.
- Change how certain foods counted toward nutrition goals.
More Flexible Food Choices
The new rules aimed to give schools more options for meals. School lunches still needed to include items from five food groups: meat, milk, bread, and two vegetables or fruits. But the new rules suggested more choices for each group.
- Meat Options: Foods like peanuts, other nuts, seeds, and their butters could replace half of the meat. Yogurt, tofu, and beans or eggs could also count as meat alternatives.
- Vegetables and Fruits: The rules allowed schools to serve fruits and vegetables separately or mixed. They also changed how fruit juice counted.
- Bread: The definition of bread expanded. It now included any food made with enriched or whole-grain flour. This meant pasta, crackers, rice, and pretzels could count as bread.
- Milk: Schools could choose any type of milk to serve. They could also offer yogurt instead of milk.
Counting Condiments as Vegetables
The proposed rules said that state agencies could approve other food options. These options had to meet the meal requirements. The report specifically mentioned that a state "could credit a condiment such as pickle relish as a vegetable." This statement caused a lot of the controversy.
Smaller Portions
To save money, the FNS also suggested reducing the amount of food served. They argued that even with smaller portions, meals would still provide good nutrition. For example:
- Meat portions for older elementary students were reduced.
- Vegetable or fruit servings for all elementary and secondary students were cut from three-quarters of a cup to a half-cup.
- Bread servings were also reduced.
- Milk portions for preschool and elementary students were made smaller.
The USDA said that even with these changes, meals would still be "excellent nutrient sources." They also noted that kids now ate more often throughout the day, not just at lunch.
Public Reaction to the Changes
The proposed rules, especially the idea of ketchup as a vegetable, caused a huge public outcry.
The Ketchup Debate
News magazines showed pictures of ketchup bottles with the caption "now a vegetable." Nutrition experts and politicians strongly criticized the proposal. They held events where they showed "mini meals" that would meet the new rules. These meals often included very small portions and lots of ketchup.
People were even more upset because the White House bought expensive new china on the same day the school lunch cuts were announced. This made it seem like the government cared more about fancy dinners than kids' meals.
One advocate described a meal that met the new rules: a tiny hamburger with "a lot of relish and ketchup." She argued that this was not a healthy meal for kids.
The USDA administrator, G. William Hoagland, tried to explain. He said that ketchup was never meant to be a main vegetable. He called the criticism an "insult" to school lunch officials. But the image of ketchup as a vegetable stuck. It became a symbol of the government cutting corners on kids' health.
Concerns About Nutrition
Critics worried that the smaller portions and new food rules would hurt low-income children the most. These children often relied on school lunches for a large part of their daily nutrients. They asked if the government was ignoring the health of these kids.
However, supporters of the changes argued that kids' eating habits had changed. They said children now ate more meals throughout the day. They also pointed out that other programs helped low-income families get food. Some also noted that kids often wasted healthy foods like green beans and carrots. If kids didn't eat the food, it didn't provide any nutrition.
What Happened Next
The strong public criticism led to quick changes.
Many schools saw students stop buying school lunches because the prices went up. For example, in one county, nearly half of the students stopped participating.
On September 25, 1981, President Ronald Reagan withdrew the original proposed rules. The USDA then submitted new proposals in November. These new rules removed any mention of condiments counting as vegetables. They also went back to the goal of providing one-third of all daily nutrients in school lunches.
Despite these changes, the original policy was never put into action. The USDA administrator, G. William Hoagland, was fired. He believed that strong advocacy groups were behind the downfall of the new rules.
Similar Debates in the Future
In 2011, a similar debate happened. Congress passed a bill that stopped the USDA from changing its school lunch rules. The USDA had wanted to limit potatoes and require more green vegetables. They also wanted to say that a half-cup of tomato paste counted as a vegetable serving.
However, the bill meant that a smaller amount of tomato paste (just two tablespoons) in pizza could still count as a vegetable. This decision was widely mocked. Many headlines joked that Congress had declared pizza a vegetable. Critics said this move was influenced by food companies and hurt efforts to make school lunches healthier.
