Title: School Lunch In America: Why It’s Unhealthy And How You Can Improve It
Headings: Why School Lunches in America Are Unhealthy and 10 Ways You Can Take Action to Improve Them
Why School Lunches in America Are Unhealthy and 10 Ways You Can Take Action to Improve Them
Summary
The State of School Lunches In America
But School Lunches Can Improve
Why Are School Lunches in America Unhealthy?
Funding
The USDA Foods Program
The School Milk Program
Unhealthy School Vendors
Why the Quality of School Lunches Matters for Students
1) Better Learning and Memory
2) Improved Concentration
3) Better Overall Health
4) Better Behavior and Fewer Problems
5) Better Academic Performance
6) Reducing Obesity
7) Better Habits for the Future
Federal Changes to Make American School Lunches Healthier
Problems Faced by School Lunch Programs
10 Ways You Can Help Improve School Food
Show your support for healthy school lunches in your community.
Be an advocate for healthier food in your school district.
Start a farm-to-school program.
Get a school garden in a school.
Start Meatless Mondays in a school.
Advocate for more plant-based options.
Help increase nutrition education in a school.
Advocate for lunchtimes that are long enough for students to get to eat.
Contact elected officials.
Students can take action, too.
What If School Lunches Around the World Encouraged Healthy Eating Behaviors?
Tell us in the comments:
What are your experiences with school lunch?
How will you take action?
Read Next:
10 revolutionary ways school lunch is improving (plus, healthy school lunch ideas)
Lindsay Oberst
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Content: But in 2015, 64% of the program’s spending went to meat, dairy, and egg products. Virtually all these products came from factory farms. The School Milk Program
Why does almost every school lunch include milk? Because milk in schools has been federally subsidized since 1940. In the 2013-14 school year, more than $20 million taxpayer dollars were spent directly by the USDA on dairy product subsidies that went into child nutrition programs, including school lunch. Even though most schools now ban sodas and other sugary beverages, chocolate milk still gets a pass. A single serving of chocolate milk contains between four and six teaspoons of sugar. And there are many reasons why all this milk might not be the healthiest option for our kids. Unhealthy School Vendors
Some schools have given contracts to food management companies to manage the food offered to students. In these cases, the companies have the purchasing power — not the schools.