(AP) — In this Sept. 12, 2012, file photo, side salads await the students of Eastside Elementary School in Clinton, Miss.
The Agriculture Department is responding to criticism over new school lunch rules by allowing kids to eat more grains and meat in the lunchroom. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a letter to members of Congress Friday, Dec. 7, 2012, that the department will do away with daily and weekly maximums of meats and grains. Several members of Congress have written the department since the new rules went into effect in September saying kids aren’t getting enough to eat. School administrators have also complained, saying that set maximums on grains and meats are too limiting as they try to plan daily meals. "This flexibility is being provided to allow more time for the development of products that fit within the new standards while granting schools additional weekly menu planning options to help ensure that children receive a wholesome, nutritious meal every day of the week," Vilsack said in a letter to Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)