Let them drink water. That’s the message of a new federal regulation that requires schools to expand free water service for students at meals, beginning in September.
As a drink with zero calories, low cost and near-ubiquitous availability, water would seem an obvious choice for a school beverage, given the epidemic of obesity among California children. But making drinking water available in cafeterias has been a challenge for some schools, despite state and federal laws requiring that they do so at lunch. The new regulation, issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its rules for school vending machine snacks and beverages, for the first time requires free drinking water at breakfast, and is the latest legal prod in the effort to bring water instead of sugary drinks into the mouths of students.
via Drink up: Schools required to expand water service during meals | EdSource Today.