As a parent, there are few thing more fruitless than trying to convince your seven-year-old that she really should avoid the chocolate milk and drink the plain no-fat milk at lunch. Well, I haven’t told her yet, but that’s all going to change.

This week, the USDA announced new rules governing the types of food that schools serve outside of the lunch and breakfast plans. A previous rule addressed the nutritional value of the meals, cutting down on fat and sugar content. But kids could bypass the healthy meals and grab potato chips and a soda instead.

I worked on a successful campaign, producing and placing op-eds in the Sacramento Bee and Savanna Morning News, that compelled the USDA to issue the stronger standards.

It’s a solid victory in the fight against childhood obesity, even if my daughter won’t understand it for a few years…