Sen. Amy Klobuchar apologized -- again -- on Monday for defending frozen pizza's place in school cafeterias.

The decision to send a letter in 2010 to the USDA pushing back against a federal rule change that threatened tomato sauce makers, Klobuchar explained, was part of an effort to help business in her home state.

"We were in the middle of the (economic) downturn, and it was a little more, I would say, complex in terms of the language," she told the student who asked about it, "but it's a fair criticism."

Klobuchar, who told the New York Times in 2014 that she regretted sending the letter, insisted that she was committed to students' health.

"I think that nutrition is paramount to this country, and that's why way before I was running for president I said that was a mistake," she said. "So let's talk about the bigger issue which is nutrition, and that is that we need to have healthier foods in kids' lunches."