Fresh Food Initiatives
Here at The Lunch Box, we encourage school food to continually evolve and improve. This section is dedicated to the “Big Ideas” - areas we think make a huge impact and will play a large role in the future. School districts have so many opportunities to make food healthier. Here are our most recommended and requested topics for change.
Salad Bars
Installing salad bars in schools can have a powerful impact on student health and environmental sustainability. Our vision is for every school in the United States to offer a salad bar as part of their meal program, ensuring every student from elementary through high school has daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins.
Salad Bars
Installing salad bars in schools can have a powerful impact on student health and environmental sustainability. Our vision is for every school in the United States to offer a salad bar as part of their meal program, ensuring every student from elementary through high school has daily access to fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and healthy proteins.
School Breakfast
With 17+ million food-insecure households, guaranteed breakfast at school is a real and proven solution to combating hunger and providing our most vulnerable population a pathway to academic success and a healthy future. Ensuring that kids start the day with breakfast is a great first step, but not all breakfasts are equal. We encourage schools to provide a less-processed breakfast that incorporates fresh, whole ingredients with a protein component.
Key benefits of Breakfast:
- Proven and effective method at reducing hunger and risk of food insecurity
- Improved academic performance and learning environments
- Improves student attendance
- Additional revenue source for school meal programs
- Children who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy body weight
School Breakfast
With 17+ million food-insecure households, guaranteed breakfast at school is a real and proven solution to combating hunger and providing our most vulnerable population a pathway to academic success and a healthy future. Ensuring that kids start the day with breakfast is a great first step, but not all breakfasts are equal. We encourage schools to provide a less-processed breakfast that incorporates fresh, whole ingredients with a protein component.
Key benefits of Breakfast:
- Proven and effective method at reducing hunger and risk of food insecurity
- Improved academic performance and learning environments
- Improves student attendance
- Additional revenue source for school meal programs
- Children who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy body weight
Sustainable Lunchrooms
With an ever-increasing focus on environmental impacts and sustainable methods, school food presents a major opportunity for positive change. Any school or district can start to implement sustainable practices, although more extensive improvements will require a dedicated effort.
Key benefits of Sustainable Lunchrooms:
- Reduced long-term expenditures in serviceware supplies (e.g. reusable lunch trays)
- Reduced food and packaging waste
- Educational opportunities for students to learn about the connections between the food they eat and the larger environment
- Lower food cost with plant-forward recipes, extra funds can reallocate to higher-quality ingredients
- Limited use of harsh cleaning chemicals
Sustainable Lunchrooms
With an ever-increasing focus on environmental impacts and sustainable methods, school food presents a major opportunity for positive change. Any school or district can start to implement sustainable practices, although more extensive improvements will require a dedicated effort.
Key benefits of Sustainable Lunchrooms:
- Reduced long-term expenditures in serviceware supplies (e.g. reusable lunch trays)
- Reduced food and packaging waste
- Educational opportunities for students to learn about the connections between the food they eat and the larger environment
- Lower food cost with plant-forward recipes, extra funds can reallocate to higher-quality ingredients
- Limited use of harsh cleaning chemicals
Apply for a Grant
The Chef Ann Foundation offers two grant opportunities—Get Schools Cooking and Salad Bars to Schools—to support schools in the transition to scratch cooking and healthier school meals. Learn more about these opportunities here.
Apply for a Grant
The Chef Ann Foundation offers two grant opportunities—Get Schools Cooking and Salad Bars to Schools—to support schools in the transition to scratch cooking and healthier school meals. Learn more about these opportunities here.
