Title: School meal programs in the United States - Wikipedia
Headings: School meal programs in the United States
School meal programs in the United States
Contents
Food insecurity in children
Prevalence
Implications
History of school meal programs
Pre-World War II
1946–2000
21st century
Organizational structure
National School Lunch Program
School Breakfast Program
Costs and funding
Participation and eligibility
Nutritional guidelines
Unhealthy meals and malnutrition
Competitive foods
Obesity
School nutrition and childhood obesity
Outcomes
Educational attainment
Student reactions
School meal programs during Covid-19
See also
References

Content: The text of the National School Lunch Act, which established the program, called it a "measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children and to encourage domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities". The NSLP currently operates in more than 100,000 public schools, nonprofit private schools, and residential care institutions. It provides more than 5 billion low-cost or free lunches per year to eligible students, with the goal of ensuring nutritious meals for children who might not otherwise have access to a proper diet. In 2012, it served more than 31 million children per day. Contents
1 Food insecurity in children
1.1 Prevalence
1.2 Implications
2 History of school meal programs
2.1 Pre-World War II
2.2 1946–2000
2.3 21st century
3 Organizational structure
3.1 National School Lunch Program
3.2 School Breakfast Program
4 Costs and funding
5 Participation and eligibility
6 Nutritional guidelines
6.1 Unhealthy meals and malnutrition
6.1.1 Competitive foods
6.2 Obesity
7 School nutrition and childhood obesity
8 Outcomes
8.1 Educational attainment
8.2 Student reactions
9 School meal programs during Covid-19
10 See also
11 References
Food insecurity in children
Food insecurity includes both inadequate quantity and inadequate quality of food. Children need not just enough calories, but also enough nutrients for proper growth and development, and improper or stunted growth can have a variety of medical and developmental implications. Food insecurity and malnutrition can affect children's educational outcomes, family life, and overall health. It has been linked to worse development outcomes for children, such as impaired social and reading skills. Prevalence
Food insecurity has risen in recent years. Between 2007 and 2008, the rate in the U.S. increased from 11.1 percent to 14.6 percent, the largest annual increase since researchers began tracking the rate in the mid-1990s.