The National School Lunch Program: The Gift of a Lunch
Photo Credit © Klenova on Canva.Whether you brought your food in a brown paper bag or you spent the first few minutes of every lunch hour balancing a plastic tray in the cafeteria line, lunchtime was probably a highlight of your school day. For many kids, however, lunchtime is more than just a break in classes or a chance to catch up with friends: it’s an opportunity to consume the much-needed nutrients that they can’t always get at home.
According to Feeding America, over 40 million people in the United States were considered food insecure as of 2017 [FN1]. Millions of our neighbors lack the ability to afford properly nutritious meals, and sadly, a large percentage of those people are children. That’s where the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) comes in.
What is the National School Lunch Program?
In 2019, 21.8 million children received free or reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program [FN2]. Nearly three-quarters of these students (74%) ate for free.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS) describes the National School Lunch Program as a, “federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions” [FN3]. It is a federal endowment that, through local schools, helps ensure students have access to at least one nutritious meal a day.
Students receive meals at little or no cost (depending on the family’s income) and schools participating in the program are reimbursed for the costs of these lunches, as long as they meet the necessary nutritional requirements. Lunches must be low sodium and low sugar, with an abundance of healthy whole grains and vegetables. Altogether, each meal should meet one third of a child’s daily nutritional needs, including “calories, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin E” [FN4, FN5].
The ultimate goal is to ensure that every child is consuming what he or she needs to grow and to remain healthy and focused in school.
To make sure all shareholders have the nutrition knowledge they need, the USDA also partners with school officials, caregivers and students to provide nutrition training and education through a program called Team Nutrition [FN6]. Since 1995, Team Nutrition Training Grants have helped schools and individuals thrive under the NSLP. There is even a training grant that helps schools develop recipes that will “utilize local agricultural products and reflect local food preparation practices and taste preferences” [FN7].
Why Lunch?
In 1943, America was wrestling with the ongoing effects of World War II. Money was being directed towards the war effort, resources were scarce, and people were hungry. So, that year, Congress signed into law an amendment that helped school children get the food they needed during the school day.
Over the next two years, the program was assessed and improved on an annual basis. Progress was slow and eventually, Congress recognized the need for something more permanent.
The NSLP that we know today became official in 1946 when President Harry Truman signed the National School Lunch Act into law [FN8]. It was not the first of such programs, but it was one of the first to prioritize both low costs and high nutrition, and it marked a permanent step towards helping students thrive in the classroom.
Like with most things, there was push back. Some argued that school lunch programs needed to be self-sustaining. Others pointed out that many schools in at-risk areas were not equipped with the facilities needed to serve lunches (which was true).
Despite its initial challenges, the NSLP has continued to improve and stayed true to its mission of reducing childhood hunger and malnutrition. According to the Food Resource and Action Center, children who partake in the free or reduced cost lunches see several significant benefits, including:
• A reduction in food insecurity
• A decline in poor health and obesity
• Higher levels of behavioral, mental, and emotional health
• Better academic performance [FN9]
It’s difficult to work when you’re hungry – the NSLP is working every day to make sure that a lack of food is no longer a roadblock in a child’s success.
Who’s Eligible and How Does it Work?
The technical requirements for a student to receive free or reduced-cost lunch varies a bit from state to state, but if the school participates in NSLP any child can receive a lunch.
How much the family pays for each meal depends on their annual income. Here are the general guidelines [FN10]:
• If household income is at or below 130% of the federal poverty level (FPL) – less than $34,060 for a family of four in 2020, for example – children are eligible for free meals through the NSLP and other school-centric meal programs like SBP and SFSP.
• If household income falls between 130% and 185% of the FPL, a child cannot be charged more than 40 cents per lunch.
• If a child lives in a low-income area with a significant number of SNAP or TANF recipients, parents can check and see if the school or day care center has adopted the Community Eligibility Provision. If so, children will be automatically eligible for free lunch and breakfasts at school [FN11].
As part of NSLP, schools and regions with more students on free and reduced lunch receive larger government reimbursement checks to support their continued commitment to feeding children.
But what happens to students during the summer? How has Covid-19 impacted these programs and their ability to help children? And what happens when students accrue meal debt? Continue to check back to learn more!
Resources
1. https://map.feedingamerica.org
2. https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/resource-files/slsummar-4.pdf
3. https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/resource-files/NSLPFactSheet.pdf
4. https://www.fns.usda.gov/resources?f%5B0%5D=program%3A39&f%5B1%5D=resource_type%3A155
6. https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/about-team-nutrition
7. https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn
8. https://fns-prod.azureedge.net/sites/default/files/resource-files/NSLP-Program%20History.pdf
9. https://frac.org/programs/national-school-lunch-program/benefits-school-lunch
10. https://frac.org/wp-content/uploads/cnnslp.pdf
11. https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/community-eligibility-provision