School Meals Matter Blog

School Nutrition teams are uniquely qualified to lead promotions and turn their cafeteria into a classroom. They see students every day, hear about what they like and know what they’re afraid to try. They understand the rhythm and culture of the school. That close connection makes them the perfect group to create events that demonstrate school nutrition’s value beyond the serving line. Think of promotions as fun nutrition education lessons that help students learn about and t

School nutrition is, at its core, an act of love. Now imagine a day without school meals. The impact would be immediate. Students would arrive hungry, distracted and frustrated before the day begins. Teachers would spend more time managing behavior and less time teaching. Attendance would drop because for many students, school meals are part of the reason they show up. Research shows that school meals are strongly linked to academic success by removing barriers to learning

Any conversation about higher wages has to start with the budget. Raises don’t happen just because the work is hard. They happen when the program can afford them. In school nutrition, strong budgets are built through strong participation—and participation is driven by professional decisions made every day. School nutrition is not simple. Every decision has a financial impact. What’s on the menu affects whether students choose the meal. How students are treated affects whether

For many school nutrition employees, the effort and professionalism they bring each day often go unnoticed. Students eat quickly,...