Celebrating healthy school lunches

With the theme “Get your day in gear with a healthy school lunch,” Dallas ISD is celebrating National School Lunch Week Oct. 10-14 to highlight the importance of healthy school lunches to a student’s success both in and out of the classroom.

National School Lunch Week began in 1962 to promote the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Created in 1946, the NSLP was designed to provide nutritious meals to children from low-income families who might not otherwise have access to a daily meal. Today, the NSLP ensures the health and well-being of all public school students and improves academic performance by giving students the nutrition they need to succeed. 

Recent research shows that children are getting their healthiest meals at school, so Dallas ISD’s Food and Child Nutrition Services will feature special menus, events, activities and more during the weeklong celebration, with the goal of encouraging students to eat a healthy lunch at school.

“School meals are free for all students all school year, so it’s a great time to give school lunch a try,” said Michael Rosenberger, executive director of Food and Child Nutrition Services. “National School Lunch Week helps us educate parents and students about all the wonderful benefits of our lunch program.” 

On Oct. 12—“take your parent to lunch day”—families are encouraged to participate by posting pictures on social media an tagging @DallasISDFood, using the hashtags #DallasISDFood, #FarmToSchool and #NSLW2023. Staff can also download activity sheets for students on the Food and Child Nutrition Services website. 

Help us spread the word about the district’s Child and Adult Care Food Program, as well. Through this program, Dallas ISD can offer free dinner on weeknights and weekend meals for qualified academic and enrichment programs. If your campus would benefit from this resource, contact Food and Child Nutrition Services for more information on how to apply.