Celebrate National School Lunch Week!
Topics: School Breakfast & Lunch
Get in the Game with School Lunch
By: The Alliance for A Healthier Generation
We know that when kids eat a healthy lunch at school, it gives them the energy they need to be active during recess and the brain power they need to reach their full potential in the classroom. You don’t have to take our word for it. Hear from students across the country about why they believe it’s important to make healthy school lunch a priority.
As we celebrate National School Lunch Week, the Alliance would like to recognize the many schools leaders that make serving a healthy lunch at school a priority, delivering healthy and nutritious meals so their students can thrive at school.
The school nutrition professionals who make it happen often face challenges such as tight schedules, limited budgets, and product availability. But these leaders are proving that by working together, making healthy changes is possible and well-worth the effort!
So, how do they do it? Read more about our healthy school lunch rock stars:
• To keep costs down, Susan Johnson, school nutrition direction of Jackson-Madison County School System in Tennessee, is sourcing vegetables grown by high school students in her district! Last year, her students grew 2,664 heads of Bibb lettuce, 573 pounds of cucumbers, and 695 pounds of tomatoes for cafeterias in the school system!
• Niki Jahnke, director of food and nutrition services for Topeka Public Schools in Kansas, noticed that her students sometimes toss leftover food into garbage cans after lunch. To reduce food waste, she created a “share table” where students can leave un-opened food items for others to eat.
• Kids can be fickle about their taste preferences. Jessica Johnson, district leader and food service director of Sycamore Community Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio, formed a student health council, holding focus groups where students sample new foods and weigh in on menu changes.
These are just a few examples of the innovate strategies school nutrition professionals are employing across the country! Read more tales of success from a cafeteria near you.
On our website, you can also view sample lunch menus that meet new nutrition guidelines and tips for purchasing, producing, and promoting healthier foods in your cafeteria. Don’t forget: the Alliance Product Navigator makes it easy to find food and beverage products that meet national nutrition standards in a flash.
Together, we can make healthy, tasty school lunches a reality for all students!
Get in the Game, Get Inspired Download School Lunch Shareables