Indiana Action for Healthy Kids

Newsletter Articles

School Lunch - Then and Now 

In the wake of the World War II, when many young men were denied acceptance into the armed services due to health problems related to poor nutrition, the United States was faced with the dual problems of persistent poverty among rural and inner city children, and suppressed agricultural income due to excess commodity production.  Richard B. Russell, Jr., D-Georgia, determined that the government could be a conduit to address both situations, and so was born the National School Lunch Act of 1946. 

Signed by President Harry S. Truman, its purpose was “to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nation’s children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities.”  Schools were required to: “serve lunches that met minimal nutritional requirements, serve meals without cost to children who were unable to pay the full cost, while not segregating or identifying them in any way, operate on a non-profit basis, utilize United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) excess commodities, and maintain records and submit reports as required.”

School feeding programs have evolved over the years.  The School Breakfast Program, After-School Snacks, and most recently, the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program have been important improvements to child nutrition.  These programs have set standards for nutritional requirements and provide technical assistance and training for school foodservice workers.  School lunches today have evolved from an institutional model over the years and now have the look and feel of food courts. 

Schools can utilize a variety of methods to comply with USDA lunch requirements, either by analyzing nutrients or by using a food-based approach.  Schools today offer choices that reflect current nutritional understandings and customer preferences.  While many in the popular media have used school lunch as a scapegoat for the childhood obesity problem that our country is facing, this is not the whole truth.

By making the switch to whole-grain products, using fewer fried food, offering a variety of fruits and vegetables and giving students choices, school lunch is much different today than what many adults may remember from their youth:  salad bars, sandwich bars, pasta bars, potato bars and choices, choices, choices are becoming the norm. Anecdotal evidence suggests that even at the elementary level, students will make better choices and actually eat what is on their tray when they are the ones making the decisions about what goes on their tray!  Healthy food options are pointless if they are washed down a disposal or thrown into the trash. 

So, we can lead our students to healthy food, but how do we encourage them to eat it?  As we give more attention to sound nutritional and physical activity practices, our students demand choices that fulfill their expectations of a healthy diet.  Attention to preparation and presentation work together to entice our customers to try new foods.

Richard B. Russell, Jr. would be amazed at the transformation of the National School Lunch Program over these past decades. 

Source: USDA