BLACKSBURG (WSLS 10) - A new study is warning families of potential risks that come from school meals.
Virginia Tech researchers said kids who receive free or reduced breakfast and lunch at school are at a higher risk for childhood obesity. That risk increases the more years children participate in the program.
In 2014, new legislation passed that created stricter calorie counts and fat restrictions on school meals.
Educators said with these changes come new challenges to get the kids to actually eat the healthy options.
"We have to make them take a fruit or vegetable, which makes for a lot of waste, because a lot of them won't eat a fruit or vegetable," said Radford City Schools food director Lenora Williams. "They just go straight into the trash can."
The Virginia Tech study was done with data from before the 2014 legislation changes and researchers hope to do a new study when that data becomes available.