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National School Lunch Program: Is Opting Out an Option?

Just last week, Congress voted its support for the current agricultural appropriations bill, HR 2997, reauthorizing, among other things, funding for school lunch programs.

I supported the bill because, as I was told by the head of nutrition for my kids’ school district, the lunches served in school cafeterias are the only daily meal that millions of American children can count on.

Should kids be eating this food? And yet, I also strongly support a major overhauling of how the school lunch program is administered, so that it can become more than a clearinghouse for agribusiness commodities that cause obesity and disease.

(By the way, click here to see a great, graphical look at the typical school cafeteria lunch compared to what it could be, with a little tweaking.)

This is an issue that’s near and dear to my heart; I have two children in a public elementary school. Most of the time, I pack their lunch, unless I’m in a hurry or have forgotten to get to the co-op. But I’ve been wondering lately if my opting out is weakening a program that requires a certain level of participation and funding. Is my desire to provide the best food for my children a self-centered reflex that jeopardizes lunches for kids who don't have anything else to eat?

To find out, I’ve done some research, and here are three organizations that I’ve especially enjoyed getting to know. The first, Two Angry Moms (www.angrymoms.org), is based on a documentary movie about a woman who spends a year improving the lunches served in her New York school district. Here are some words from Susan Rubin, Two Angry Moms co-founder:

A few people have contacted us to say while they love our mission of better school food, they don’t love our movie title, Two Angry Moms. It seems that some folks are put off by the word “angry.” Here’s a short explanation as to why we’re calling ourselves “angry moms.”

Anger is a misunderstood emotion in our culture. Especially when it comes to women, we are told from childhood that “nice girls don’t get angry,” and that conditioning persists into adulthood. Also, many people associate anger with aggression and violence, but that is only one way to react to feeling angry.

Anger is often about boundaries. When our boundaries get violated, we get angry… As a mom with three kids in school, I get a bit angry when my kids are exposed to unhealthy food. It undermines what I’m trying to do at home to make sure my kids grow up healthy. Think of mama bear protecting her cubs; it’s a protective sort of anger.

I’ve been working to improve school food for over 10 years. That “anger” often works as fuel to keep me moving forward to help make school food better. My hope is that other parents who aren’t too pleased about the food and junk food rewards their kids receive at school will be inspired by the film to take action in their own schools.

If you’re not angry about what is being served in your kid’s school, maybe you ought to be! Have lunch with your child one day. Take a look around at what is being served and what is being eaten. Check in with your gut and see what you feel!


Then, there is School Lunch Talk (www.schoolfoodpolicy.com), a web site devoted to “the latest on public school food, from chicken nuggets and chocolate milk to legislation and regulations.” The founder is Ann Cooper, director of nutrition services for the Berkeley Unified School District in California, and co-author of “Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children.” Here’s an excerpt from the site’s blog, posted last month:

Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan wasn’t joking when she said a few weeks ago that she wanted to “play the role of matchmaker during this administration” and link existing USDA programs with local and regional food initiatives. Today, in an exciting moment for school lunch, she announced that the USDA will form Farm-to-School Tactical Teams to help cafeterias procure fresh, local produce. The USDA will also make $50 million available for schools to buy locally grown fruits and vegetables and issue new purchasing guidelines for schools that place attention on locally grown foods.

The initiative is part of the USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food campaign, which aims to develop local and regional food systems and spur economic activity in rural communities. The campaign is a huge accomplishment in itself, complete with a public lunch prepared by White House assistant chef Sam Kass and the debut of the White House farmers market. But today’s announcement is particularly exciting and represents a huge step forward in improving American school meals.

I’ve blogged before about the differences between the United States and other countries when it comes to local procurement for school lunch. In the United States, at least up until now, farm-to-school initiatives have expanded thanks to grass-roots efforts, with little to no government support. But in other countries, local food has flourished precisely because of government policies. Italian schools, for example, are required to purchase ingredients that are either organic, traditional or local. Italy’s school lunch legislation sounds a lot like ours in that its goal is to support domestic agriculture while nourishing schoolchildren. The difference is that Italy uses school lunch to support local and sustainable agriculture, while the United States uses school lunch to support large agribusiness. With all the new policies coming out of this USDA, things might be about to change.


Finally, The National Farm to School Network (www.farmtoschool.org), through eight regional lead agencies, works to “support community-based food systems, strengthen family farms, and improve student health by reducing childhood obesity.” It also advocates educational programs that teach children where their food comes from and even encourages farm tours, cooking classes and school gardens. It describes its mission this way:

More than 30 million children eat school food five days a week, 180 days a year. If school food can improve the health of kids, develop new marketing opportunities for farmers, and support the local economy, it’s a win-win for everyone…

Farm to School programs are based on the premise that students will choose healthier foods, including more fruits and vegetables, if products are fresh, locally grown, and picked at the peak of their flavor, and if those choices are reinforced with educational activities.


Lots of good information, to be sure. But after hours of research, I still don’t have an answer to my question: Should I continue packing lunches so my kids can eat a healthier, fresher mid-day meal? Or should I spend our $4.70 per day (for two kids) to participate in a program that feeds millions of otherwise hungry children?

I’d love to hear what you would do or are already doing. Are you a parent struggling with the same question? Let me know by posting your comment, below. And thank you for your insight.