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National School Lunch Program


Change You Can Taste: School Lunch Program Gets a Makeover

April 09, 2013 Audrey Rowe, Food and Nutrition Service Administrator and Dave Shipman, Agricultural Marketing Service Administrator

When you walk around many of the nation’s cafeterias, you will notice that plenty of changes have taken place on school lunch menus. Thanks to new standards and other efforts by the USDA, the lunches for our children have become healthier. The new standards, which were implemented for the 2012-2013...

Food and Nutrition

Join Our Webinars To Find Out How You Can Help Feed Kids During the Summer

March 01, 2013 Tony Craddock, Jr., Program Assistant, USDA Food and Nutrition Service

Children need good nutrition all year long. When school is out during the summer months, many children no longer have access to even one nutritious meal each day. Research shows a lack of nutrition during the summer months may set up a cycle for poor performance once school begins. We must do all we...

Food and Nutrition

Celebrating the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act Two Years Later

December 13, 2012 Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary, Food Nutrition and Consumer Services

It’s been two years since President Obama signed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 into law. The Act cleared the way for historic improvements to the child nutrition programs, such as school lunch and school breakfast, that serve millions of our nation’s children. We’ve already implemented...

Food and Nutrition

Collaboration Key to Aiding Hurricane Sandy Victims

November 09, 2012 Toni Abernathy, Director, Office of Emergency Management, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service

Tough times and dire circumstances have a longstanding history of bringing America’s communities and organizations together. The recent storms that descended on much of the nation’s Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions have underscored these important partnerships. For many of the stricken areas...

Conservation Food and Nutrition

Ask a School Meals Expert: How are Schools Helping Students Adjust to the New School Meals?

October 01, 2012 Dr. Janey Thornton, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services

We’re continuing to answer questions we’ve received from folks about the improvements to school meals that started this school year. One concern we’ve heard is that students who may not be accustomed to eating particular foods may throw them away. We know it is important that students get the...

Initiatives Food and Nutrition

Ask a School Meals Expert: What do the New Calorie Standards Mean for my Child?

September 28, 2012 Dr. Robert Post, Deputy Director, Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion

You may have heard this year’s back to school season is a little different than in past years. There is a new, healthier look for the school lunch menu. These updates represent the first major changes to school meals in 15 years, and we know that these changes come with questions. We’ve promised to...

Food and Nutrition

It’s Back to School Night with the PTA… From the Comfort of Your Own Home!

September 11, 2012 Rebecca Frank, USDA Office of Communications

The school day just got healthier! This year, thanks to the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act, students can expect to see healthier and more nutritious food on school lunch trays across the country. To help navigate what these changes mean, you are invited to join National PTA President Betsy Landers...

Initiatives Food and Nutrition

School Food Data Reflects Progress and Room for Growth in Local Buying

August 13, 2012 Deborah Kane, National Director, Farm to School Program, USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) recently released its 2009-10 School Food Purchase Study, which provides national estimates of the quantity, value and unit price of food acquisitions by school districts participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. This year, the...

Food and Nutrition Farming

From Food Trucks to Text Messages – Fighting Hunger in New York City

July 27, 2012 Rebecca Dresner, Northeastern Regional Intern, USDA Food and Nutrition Service

For most children, summertime means school vacation, family trips and beach days, but for many, it also means losing the two free or reduced-price meals provided at school.

Food and Nutrition

Hunger Doesn’t Stand a Chance in Michigan

July 13, 2012 Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services

Hunger doesn’t take a summer vacation, and the State of Michigan is making sure that nutrition assistance programs don’t either. I recently traveled to the west side of the state to see some of the inspiring work our partners are doing to make sure that no one in their community has to face hunger.

Food and Nutrition
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