USDA Wants to Ban Child Care Providers From Frying Food

The U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn't want your kids to eat fried food at daycare.

Fried food, juice and tofu are among the items discussed in new dietary guidelines proposed by the USDA.

The USDA's proposed guidelines are meant to align meal patterns with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans which is required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010.

Lunch never used to be so complicated.

New rules include:

• Frying is disallowed as an onsite preparation method for day care institutions.
• Flavored milk served must be fat-free.
• Tofu is allowed as a meat alternate.
• Drinking water must be made available to children throughout the day.

As much as requiring drinking water to be available seems like common sense, many of the other rules seem the opposite.

Want fried food, tofu or a bottomless bowl of circus peanuts? Meet with your daycare provider and arrange it. Don't require it or ban it by law.

While Texas announces "amnesty for cupcakes", the USDA is making grilled cheese sandwiches a thing of the past.