Essay On School Lunch Program

Children are America’s future. They will be the ones to harvest our crops, run our factories, and lead this country. These children need to be kept healthy and because of the National School Lunch Program, these children will mature into prosperous adults. This federal policy is a key factor in America’s school system and also a big component in farm policy and farm policy analysis. Farmers are happy and children’s stomachs are full due to the National School Lunch Program. The National School Lunch Program was passed into law by President Truman in 1946. The program provides free or low-cost school lunch meals to those who qualify for them. This program was created to raise up food prices by taking in farm surpluses, while at the same
These meals must meet federal health requirements though. In the most recent update in the program, schools are required to serve more fruits and vegetables along with whole-grain foods. Schools are required to limit calories and reduce sodium as well as saturated fat. One of the last things schools are required to provide is meat alternatives for cultural awareness like tofu. “Students are entitled to free lunches if their families’ incomes are below 130 percent of the annual income poverty level (currently $23,850 for a family of four) and Students with family incomes below 185 percent of poverty are eligible for a reduced price lunch” (Atlas). States that use the National School Lunch Program use federal funds to reimburse local public schools each month or quarter. From 1977 to 2013, the federal government has spent over $70 billion dollars on the National School Lunch Program. The program feeds millions of children each day and helps them live healthier lives. Even more people have become huge advocates of this program in the last 15 years due to the rising problem of childhood obesity. People who dislike the National