As we wrap up National School Lunch Week it is important to acknowledge the changing structure in nutrition within our school cafeterias. This week we are sharing three important perspectives on the school lunch program and the recent changes seen in schools nationwide.
Your Turn: School lunch rules are working
In 2010 the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act kick started the mission to have healthier, more nutritious meals available to our students. This effort was part of a larger picture to reduce the obesity epidemic affecting school children. As we prepare for the 2015 Child Nutrition Reauthorization it’s important to show the importance of nutritious lunch and breakfast programs available to our school children, especially those receiving free or reduced meals.
The Foodbank’s School Breakfast program targets area schools with a high rate of students receiving free or reduced lunch and helps them establish a well-rounded, breakfast program to encourage more students to participate.
Learn more about the impact the changes are having in Tim English’s article
Empowering Students to Make the Healthy Choice the Right Choice
We are hearing very positive feedback as a result of the new nutrition guidelines implemented throughout schools nationwide. Victoria Wittrock, Food Service Supervisor of the West Central School District in South Dakota, sheds some light on the positive attributes associated with the recent changes to the School Lunch and Breakfast program. This story is just one real-life story as part of the series, Cafeteria Stories by the USDA.
Read more about Victoria’s experience implementing the new guidelines
5 Tips to a Better School Lunch
School cafeterias provide the fuel needed by our children to maintain a strong energy throughout the day and contribute to their educational success. Some of the new nutrition guidelines on the menu may be a challenge for some students to accept; that’s why it is important that parents, grandparents and guardians become involved in making the transition to a more nutritious menu a little easier. The following article provides five great tips on how to encourage your kids to try the new items on the menu.
Get registered dietitian, Jen Haugen’s tips on how parents can get involved
