Initially, the United States government began subsidizing feeding programs in schools as a way to help the struggling farmers during the depression era as it unloaded the extra yields off the farmers as well as feeding the malnourished kids solving the national health crisis at the time. Later, an era of efficiency and cost cutting was ushered in whereby public schools started eliminating the whole process of preparing food to favor units designed for heating pre-cooked meals packed in boxes.
However, recently food provision in schools has become a major area of concern. Regulation bodies have been put in place by the government to oversee this program. Through institutions such as the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act and the National School Lunch Act, the choice on what food children should be served no longer lies with a parent or the child rather is now being controlled (Murphy). By providing recipes which dictate what is to be prepared and how, children no longer get served with French fries, greasy pizza nor sauced chicken wings as before. Instead, standards have been set that regulate the kind of meals that should be served in school (Confessore). Mostly the standards required meals to be low in fat, sodium, and calories, contain more fruits and vegetables, as well as lean proteins and whole grains (PBS).
Furthermore, some programs have also been created such as the Farm to School program that supports replacement of the packaged processed foods with farm fresh produce, nutrition education as well as encouraging the idea of school gardens. Through this, the government can promote good health in children as well as encourage healthy practices in overall.
Secondly, the program also encourages healthy behavior hence is an opportunity to teach long term healthy nutritional habits to children. With the kids adapting to the dietary requirements set at an early age will grow accustomed to that way, and consequently the practice becoming deeply rooted. Moreover, with this eating habit, there will be a reduction in healthy risks cases (projectbread).
Moreover, the program also protects the most vulnerable children from hunger. The School Lunch program is paramount as it mitigates the problem of lack of access to proper nutrition due to poverty. Hence, this is a chance to stack odds for children from poor backgrounds as proved research conducted by USDA that showed that children participating in the school breakfast/lunch had superior nutritional provisions compared to those who did not partake in it (USDA Crop Disaster Programs, 28).
Lastly, the stigma that normally arises with perception to a hand-out that makes one feel ashamed of accepting help from others becomes eliminated. With the school lunch program, those in need of food get to get it without feeling embarrassed or ashamed. Through this, a community can eventually get rid of the stigma associated with hunger itself.
Conclusion
The school lunch program is indeed a good idea which should be adopted and implemented by governments all around the globe. The program has many immediate merits compared to the limitations. Communities all over the United States should join the government to see the program succeed.
Work cited
Projectbread. 5 Reasons You Should Care About School Food. Projectbread, 3 Sept 2014. Web. 24 Aug. 2016
Jalonick, MC. 524 Schools Drop out of The National School Lunch Program. PBS, 2013. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.
Confessore, Nicholas. How School Lunch Became The Latest Political Battleground. Nytimes. 2014. Web. 24 Aug 2016.
Murphy, Kate. Why Students Hate School Lunches. Nytimes. 2015. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.
PBS. School Lunch Revival. Pbs, 9 Dec 2014. Web. 24 Aug. 2016.
USDA Crop Disaster Programs. [Washington, D.C.]: U.S. Govt. Accountability Office, 2010. Print.
