National School Lunch Week 2015

Who knew school lunch had its own week? Well it does. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week in order to celebrate the school lunch program in America.

So why do we need a week to celebrate school lunch? Take a moment to think back to your days in elementary school. Do you remember the school lunches being kind of scary? Chicken nuggets that bounced, mystery meatloaf, greasy pasta….

Well, school lunch programs have made a great improvement in the last decade or so. Schools are starting to recognize what children need in their diets and are becoming more able to supply it. Say goodbye to the days where French fries and pizza were considered “vegetable” and hello to more choices of fresh fruit, veggies, and whole grains.

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

This year the National School Lunch Week theme is “School Lunch Snapshot.” According to the Nation School Lunch Week’s website, “it’s about sharing the best, real images of today’s school lunch—fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, milk, and smiling students”. I think this is a great way for schools to encourage healthy eating and a fun environment for their students.

So how can you participate? Take some photos of your child’s lunch for the day and put it on Instagram with the hashtag “#NSLW” for National School Lunch Week. This way parents around the country can see what some healthy options are for their child’s lunch or, even better, maybe school officials can get some ideas on how to incorporate healthy options into their school lunch programs.

Get Active!

Want to get more involved? Go to your local school and ask if you can volunteer to make some healthy treats for the students. Maybe make some ants on a log- celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins- or whip up some homemade hummus with veggie sticks and baked pita chips.

Another way to get involved is to create some posters to hang in your local school’s cafeteria. Make a brightly colored poster board explaining to the students why they should eat more fruits and veggies. You can include colorful images to catch their attention. Also try relating nutrition to things that they love. Talk about how spending time outside in the sun is a great way to get some vitamin D or how eating whole grains can give them the energy to sprint down the field in their soccer games. Make it fun and relatable because the last thing a kid wants to hear is how broccoli contains fiber to help their digestive tract move along.

Your turn to take action: Participate in this year’s National School Lunch Week by going to your local school district and see how you can lend a hand. Let me know what you are planning, comment below!

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