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Research Profile: School Lunch

blntmaker

on June 8, 2007

In the United States and most countries around the world, school lunch serves as a meal time break that happens around noon time. For about one hour, students take a lunch break by having a meal that is either provided by the school or brought from home. Many schools throughout the nation have outsourced the use of fast-food companies (Such as Subway and Pizza Hut) which have smaller establishments built on campus.

In many cases, a student that comes from a low-income family, pays a minimum monthly fee and receives a nutritious and balanced meal that is prepared by the school's cafeteria staff (and sometimes students seeking community service hours). Students whose families are not economically challenged still have the option of purchasing a meal at school or bring a lunch made at home. Beyond lunch, schools also provide breakfast or often times, snacks during breaks and passing periods.

Whatever the case may be, the nutritional goal of the school lunch program is to provide children a meal that contains nearly one-third of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) of nutrients. The lunches provide one-third of the RDA of nutrient when averaged over time – not at each meal.

Every school lunch program is different. To find out more about the program in your community, request menus from your child's school.