Coming to a School Lunch Tray Near You

While we may still be enjoying the longer days of summer, before we know it, children will be back at their desks and moms and dads will be packing lunch boxes. For some kids, lunch in school is all about buying vs. bringing, trading snacks and getting through with their meals to leave time for recess.

In 2010, the federal government proposed the first major overhaul to the school lunch program in 15 years! Promoted by First Lady Michelle Obama and signed by the president, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act hoped to encourage children to make healthier choices during the school day by updating the National School Lunch Program's nutritional requirements to better meet dietary needs.

Lunch, an essential midday pick-me-up, is not only fuel that energizes body and brain. It's also a meal that helps teach children about nutritious food choices, hoping to counteract the growing obesity trend and thwart the development of chronic diseases often associated with it. A school is made up of classrooms -- with perhaps one of the most important rooms being the cafeteria. In fact, many children consume at least 50 percent of their meals at school; more than 12 million students participate in the School Breakfast Program, and more than 32 million kids take advantage of the National School Lunch Program.

[Read: Why Kids Are Eating Fewer School Meals and Wasting More .]

Lunch, in particular, is the meal that needed a makeover, and this is what will be appearing on those lunch trays:

-- More vegetables and fruit will be offered daily, including greater variety in colorful produce to provide an array of nutrients and fiber. Low-calorie options will be emphasized, and starchier types will be limited.

-- Fat-free and low-fat milk ,as well as lower-fat meat options, like skinless chicken breast, will contribute to a fat-trimmed menu.

-- Whole grains will contribute at least half of all grains offered; over time, all grains should become whole.

-- Zero grams trans fat in any ingredient or product served.

-- Gradual reduction in sodium content over time. (As noted by The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, prior to the above regulations, some school lunches contained more than 60 percent of the daily recommended quantity of sodium for children.)

-- Appropriate caloric requirements and nutrient needs for specified age groups.

Since these regulations were first implemented in the 2012 to 2013 school year, there has been a lot of buzz among parents, educators, students and dietitians. Along with the positive nutrition-related changes mentioned above, there has been some backlash. Some complain that kids may not like the "healthier" foods they are served, but a study published this spring in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine found that students were eating more fruits and vegetables since the implementation of these new lunch rules.

Moreover, another new study reported that, contrary to initial beliefs, kids are actually enjoying the healthier changes. School administrators across U.S. public schools were asked to report students' perceptions, waste and satisfaction levels about their school lunch. Surveys showed that students liked the meals, at least to some extent, by the end of the first year of implementation, and complaints about the new meals decreased significantly by the end of the year. Suburban and urban public schools even reported less waste and fewer dropouts of the lunch program compared to rural schools.

[Read: How to Make a Healthy, Tasty Sandwich .]

Ideally, all our schools would have salad bars lined with fresh produce, grains and lean protein that our kids would rush to gobble up. Although some school districts are able to make this dream a reality, others will need to make the best of the initiative described above.

In honor of August's Kids Eat Right month, here are some tips to keep your kids happy and healthy all year long:

-- Make healthy eating relevant to your children; if they enjoy playing sports, teach them that nutritious foods could help them play better and perform better in school.

-- Prepare grab-and-go breakfasts that your kids will enjoy. A better breakfast is vital to optimal performance, better focus and attention span in school. Try my sweet potato smoothie!

-- Take your kids to the grocery store with you, and let them choose which vegetable they want with dinner or for an after-school snack (like my guac-humm-mole!).

-- Set an example when you set the table. If you pass up the veggies, don't expect your child to choose them. When your kids see you make healthy choices, they will be more likely to as well.

It's important for schools and homes to be on the same side when it comes to emphasizing the use of certain foods and discouraging others. Here's my own personal real-life example of how involving your kids in the foods they choose, right from the start, makes a difference in how they'll choose meals for the rest of there lives.

[Read: Healthy Snacks for When You Feel Hangry .]

Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, has been owner of BTD Nutrition Consultants, LLC, for more than three decades and she is the author of Read It Before You Eat It. As a renowned motivational speaker, author, media personality, and award-winning dietitian, Taub-Dix has found a way to communicate how to make sense of science. Her website is BetterThanDieting.com.