Topics: Nutrition
Did you know that 31 million children are served school lunch every day? Whether you’re a teacher, student, cafeteria worker, custodian, principal or parent everyone can celebrate the importance of school lunch and its affect on a student’s health and academic success. 95% of schools participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) so join us in celebrating school lunch across the US!
Our friends at the School Nutrition Association have included some ideas below for how YOU can get involved in National School Lunch Week:
Teachers and Administrators can:
- Visit the cafeteria during lunch.
- Encourage the school nutrition director to make presentations about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle at PTA meetings and in the classroom.
- Talk about National School Lunch Week during assembly.
- Make cooking techniques or healthy eating topics part of the curriculum. Check out NEA HIN’s Healthy Steps for Healthy Lives nutrition education kits, available for grades K-3 and 3-6.
Parents can:
- Visit the cafeteria and have lunch with your child.
- Encourage healthy eating and lifestyles at home for you and your kids (Also, check out NEA HIN’s sister site, Bag the Junk, for tips and information about how to improve the nutritional quality of snack foods and beverages sold in your child’s school).
- Create a National School Lunch Week night at PTO or PTAs.
Also, don’t forget to check out the Alliance for a Healthier Generation’s five school lunch recipes. Each recipe meets school meal guidelines and has been a cafeteria favorite for students and staff in school districts across the country. You can check them out here.
Check out NEA HIN’s Facebook and Twitter and let us know what your school is planning for National School Lunch Week!