Lunch Box Heroes
The Lunch Box believes anyone feeding children healthy food is a hero. We’re here to share the stories of the unsung heroes who are your peers in change: school food service cooks, servers, directors, administrations and parent and student activists, all working hard across the country to change how we feed our children.
If you know someone doing great work to improve school food, let us know! Write to info@thelunchbox.org with, 'LunchBox Hero Suggestion' in the subject line.
From the Blog
Raising Awareness by Way of Food Rhapsodies
May 08, 2013
In the age of YouTube and iPads, schools and organizations left and right are reaching out to kids about nutritious food on their own terms: rap videos. From light-hearted, kid-produced raps to lyrics demonstrating the profound dangers of processed foods, these videos entertain AND educate. We’ve compiled a few rap video all-stars for your enjoyment. “Keep it Fresh (The... More
Celebrating three years of “Let’s Move”
February 13, 2013
The campaign to put salad bars in schools is sweeping across the nation. Today, lunch lines are loaded with lettuce, crammed with carrots, and overflowing with oranges - an amazing success made possible by valuable proponents and partners of Let’s Move Salad Bars to Schools. Among these catalysts for change is the first lady, Michelle Obama. This month marks the three year... More
Bright Spot: Pueblo City Schools
November 14, 2012
Few cities can lay claim to a pepper. Pueblo, Colorado not only boasts its own pepper, it also claims that the Pueblo green chile pepper is the best green chile in the country! The same pride that the city shows in its chile can be seen in its schools. Whether it’s student achievement or the food they serve the students, Pueblo City Schools’ homegrown passion is evident. When Jill... More
Bright Spot: Riverside Unified School District
August 22, 2012
RUSD Director of Food Services Rodney Taylor meets with local farmer Bob Knight of Redlands, CA. Taylor’s “Farmers’ Market Salad Bars” brings local produce into schools. Rodney Taylor knows a few things about feeding children healthy and delicious food. He and his staff serve over 35,000 students a day in the 47 schools that make up Riverside Unified School... More
Bright Spot: New Haven Public Schools, Connecticut
May 14, 2012
Photo (Chris Volpe): Chef Tim Cipriano talks with a NHPS student at a community garden about how "one little tomato can change a whole generation of kids." New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) educates and feeds approximately 20,000 students in 46 schools. Of those students, 80% qualify for free and reduced student meals. Executive Director of Food Services Tim Cipriano,... More
Five School Programs Feeding America’s Children
April 02, 2012
Photo: Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids partners with schools in Delaware to build vegetable gardens. (Credit: Healthy Foods for Healthy Kids) For this month's hero blog we would like to feature the work of Nourishing the Planet who put together this wonderful piece highlighting some wonderful school food programs going on across the country! Can you find YOUR city on this list? Five... More
Lunchbox February Hero: Chopped Champion Cheryl Barbara!
February 28, 2012
photo: Cheryl Barbara with White House Chef and School Food Advocate, Sam Kass and her daughter, Rosie. In November of 2011, the Food Network aired a very special episode of one of its most beloved programs: Chopped. Chopped is like a mini Iron Chef competition. Four chef contestants compete to be the last one standing as they move through three meal courses – appetizer, main course, and... More
Lunchbox January Hero: Shelly Allen of the St. Vrain Valley School District!
January 26, 2012
Written by Lunch Box blogger Sunny Young No one told Shelly Allen of the St. Vrain Valley School District in Colorado that she had to use local foods in her school district’s lunch menu. No one said she had to go above and beyond the basic run down of nuggets, pizza, and fries to include fresh fruits, vegetables, and scratch baked breads and hot entrees. When she says that she... More
Check out this amazing hero video!
December 01, 2011
We just couldn't pass up the chance to post this amazing American Hero featured on The Early Show! http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7388491n&utm_source=feedburner&utm More
Hero Update: Hairnets off to you, Mrs. Q!
November 01, 2011
In July of 2010 we interviewed Mrs. Q, a school teacher blogging about school lunches. Mrs. Q fascinated us at The Lunch Box. She was a “Quiet Activist” stating the facts and then standing back to watch the reactions of her followers (and there were many – she had more than 1 million page views by the end of her first year!) on her blog, Fed Up With School Lunch. Reactions... More
