Healthy Food for Students

School Lunch Program
It has always been a challenge to ensure that children are eating the proper foods when they eat school lunch or any other meal of the day. The proper balance has to be struck between providing foods that the students will like and actually eat and providing foods that are actually nutritious. Striking the balance in the wrong way leads to wasted food and resources in some instance. In other instance, it leads to nutritional goals not being met. School sales and fundraising is also an issue that must be address. While school lunches are not the most important thing in the world, they are very important when it comes to raising and educating the children of today and the adults and workforce of tomorrow.
Even with the challenges and issues that exist, there are many districts and groups that have tackled the challenge with fervor and vigor. There are often vast and expansive documents that detail the efforts and tactics that will be used to maximize nutrition and minimize waste. One such jurisdiction is Philadelphia. Their efforts go back nearly a century. As of 1920, though, the programs and plans in place were often referred to as “experimental” (Smedley 1920). However, it would be a misnomer to say that the 1920’s was the start of such efforts, as they date back to Europe in the 1700’s. Even so, the late 1800’s was the start of such efforts in the United States. Beyond that, the aforementioned Smedley and the Philadelphia school system was one of the pioneers of such efforts in the United States. Back then, the monetary focus was more about saving money due to its obvious scarcity. Nowadays, there the confluence of school budget issues and fighting the prevalence of students (and their families) of eating somewhat to very poorly. As just indicated, a lot of exterior influence is wreaking havoc on whether children are eating healthy and whether money spent on healthier foods is being wasted (Open Campus 2017). It does help to have the USDA being an active partner. A good share of the food used nowadays is “gifted” to districts, although they are wont to considered them entitlements (School Food Focus). The depth and breadth of the foods offered via this commodity program are both quite large. Indeed, there are 180 different foods offered via the commodity program alone (RWJF 2008).
It is clear to see that there is a bit of an impasse when it comes to finding harmony and balance in the school food budget. On one side, there is the school lunch program, the heavy integration that had with the USDA and other parts of government and a good healthy menu that children would hopefully be interested in. However, on the other side there are swaths of society and families that are eating somewhat to very poorly. It is to the extent that a lot of food is going to waste because the children basically refuse (or at least resist) attempts to improve their diet. The stakes, of course, are rather high given that obesity, diabetes and other health maladies are becoming more and more of an issue. The only all-encompassing solution that will prevent food waste while at the same time getting the proper acceptance of the right foods from the children is the proper education of the children (and the parents/families as well) so that the children understand why a balanced diet is needed. They should also need to understand what the future holds if they are not attentive and focused on their health. Some of that will require exterior programs and education. Indeed, getting the parents and family to do it is going to be a huge part of making it “stick” with the children. Even so, that is easier said than done. Until, however, that is accomplished, it is quite likely that food waste and dietary dysfunction shall remain.




References
Open Campus. 2017. "From Nuggets To Nourishment: Kids And Food". 
Opencampus.Newschool.Edu. https://opencampus.newschool.edu/
courses/CENC/6135/NFDS/0240/A/from-nuggets-to-nourishment-kids-and-food/
RWJF. 2008. "Impact of Federal Commodity Programs On School Meal Nutrition". RWJF.
https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2008/09/impact-of-federal-commodity-
programs-on-school-meal-nutrition.html.
School Food Focus. 2017. "School Food Focus – Igniting Change". Schoolfoodfocus.Org.
http://www.schoolfoodfocus.org/.
Smedley, Emma. 2011. The School Lunch. 1st ed. New York, NY: Ulan Publishing.