This week, we celebrate the 60th annual National School Lunch Week. The National School Lunch Program feeds tens of millions of school children annually and is arguably the most recognizable federal feeding program.
At Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), a team of registered dietitians, chefs, manufacturers, and stakeholders (including students) are all key decisionmakers in developing innovative, healthy menus.
While Congress is poised to avert a government shutdown today by passing a short-term funding bill through December, it will fail to include a pathway to free healthy school meals for all students, a key priority of the Biden administration’s recently unveiled National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.
The National Strategy, released in advance of Wednesday’s White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, represents a significant step forward in the nation’s ongoing battle against food insecurity and diet-related disease. CSPI is thrilled to see several of our highest priorities, encapsulated in our July 15 letter to President Biden, included in the Strategy.
At Cypress School District, Director of Child Nutrition Parisa Shukla, MDA, RD, SNS and her excellent staff have been providing a wide variety of 100 percent whole-grain rich meals to students for over four years. With a 40 percent increase in lunch participation since the start of the pandemic, even more students can enjoy nutrient dense, delicious meals at school every day.
At Morgan Hill Unified School District, Michael Jochner, Director of Student Nutrition, and his hardworking staff are elevating school meals. Jochner brings elements of his culinary background to the job. With 13 schools in his district, Jochner approaches each cafeteria as its own restaurant, and the students as his guests.
This Black-owned organization uses multisectoral partnerships to help students establish healthy eating habits by serving nutritious, culturally relevant meals that meet the school meal nutrition standards.
At Tahoe Truckee Unified School District, Directorof Food & Nutrition Services Kat Soltanmorad, RDN, leads a team of full-time staff dedicated to scratch
cooking delicious meals for students. Meals are made with 100 percent whole grains (when available), meet the USDA sodium reduction target 2, and are limited in added sugars.
