What Can You Do About School Lunch?

Much of the family and consumer sciences curriculum is focused around practical, perennial problems. One such problem for schools is 'what to do about school food policies?" For students in nutrition, health, and culinary arts classes the question becomes "what can we do about school lunch?" This is also a question tackled by FCCLA chapters through Student Body projects. Here are some web resources that will help your student extend their knowledge and thinking about something they come into contact with each day of their school career - school lunch.

• Besides being Cinco de Mayo (May 5, 2009) today is also "Change the Future of School Food" day, sponsored by the Healthy Schools Campaign. Through this campaign, members of congress are encouraged to eat a healthy school lunch today, designed and prepared by high school Culinary Arts students and the White House chef Sam Kass. (Take a peek at the winning menu.)
  

• Interested in knowing what is served for lunch in schools across the country and the world? Wondering what they're eating in France or Japan for lunch? Concerned about the quality of the food served in your school? Wanting to learn more about school food policies? Then you'll want to visit the "F is for French Fry" blog. To keep up to date with their posts, subscribe to their RSS feed.
  
• For information from the federal government about the healthy schools program, visit their Team Nutrition site. This site has many helpful links, including to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the MyPyramid for Kids.

• Want your students to think beyond the obvious and begin thinking of food as part of politics and trade? Then take a look at the blog Food Politics.

There are undoubtedly many more resources online for teachers and students to use when thinking about the "what to do about school lunch" perennial problem. What have your classes or chapters done in regards to this issue? Have you had a good working relationship with your school food service staff? Do you have any good resources to share? Your comments are invited.