A new study has shown positive effects of changes made to government-subsidized meals by the Obama administration to get schoolchildren eat more fruits. The Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at the University of Connecticut conducted the study, showing a surge in the percentage of children eating fruits on cafeteria to 66% from 54%, since changes went into effect in 2012.

The study also showed that children were not wasting as much food as they were used to before the rules, which is another significant achievement.

Marlene B. Schwartz, the study's lead author and the director of the Rudd Center, said the study has highlighted the importance of nutrition standards for the National School Lunch Program to ensure healthy eating habits among students.

The study was aimed at taking a comprehensive look into eating patterns in the school lunch program after the new regulations have been introduced.

Recommendations were sought from a panel of experts at the Institute of Medicine to update nutrition standards. The standards were passed by Congress in 2010 as part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and final shape was given to them in 2012 by the Agriculture Department.

For the study, the researchers focused on students' food selection, consumption and waste before and after the updated standards. They also weighed individual items on lunch trays.

The study was, however, criticized by the School Nutrition Association, a group which is asking Congress to retract the new school meals rules.

"We have lots of concerns about this study because, among other things, it only collected data on one day each year at these schools. And of course you're going to see an increase in students getting fruit. Under the new rules, they have to take a fruit when they come through the lunch line", said Diane Pratt-Heavner, a spokeswoman for the association.