Cafeteria Connections

Cafeteria Connections

School meals offer students a chance to select from all five food groups every day. Menus must meet strict standards for nutrient content and variety. While many people are skeptical of school meals, research shows that school lunches are typically healthier than lunches brought from home.

Kids who eat nutritious school meals will return to your classroom ready to learn and able to focus. To make the most of this resource, take action to promote school meals, and “nudge” students toward selecting the fruits and vegetables offered at mealtime. Try some of these ideas:

Connect your students

• Learn about school meal nutrition standards.
• Read and display the daily menu in your classroom; refer to the fruits and vegetables of the day as “today’s specials”.
  • Make sure the daily menu is read on the morning announcements.
• Give creative names to fruits and vegetables on the lunch menu.
• Help organize cafeteria tastings of fruits and vegetables to promote their selection at lunch.
• Buy a school lunch, or a fruit or vegetable to go with your packed lunch, and eat with students.
• Remind and encourage students to choose fruits and vegetables before you drop them off at lunch.
• Ensure parents complete Free and Reduced Meal forms.

Connect with families

• Engage parents as volunteers during cafeteria tastings.
• Work with cafeteria staff to organize a bring your parent to lunch day to expose parents to school meals.
• Speak positively about school meals and encourage parents to take advantage of this resource.
• Remind parents to complete Free and Reduced Meal forms via social media or flyers.

Connect the cafeteria staff

• Meet with the cafeteria manager to discuss ideas for collaborating to promote healthy eating.
• Help organize cafeteria tastings of fruits and vegetables to promote their selection at lunch.
• Share nutrition curriculum materials with cafeteria staff to display on the service line.
• Organize a bring your parent to lunch day to expose parents to school meals.

Additional Resources

• The Reimbursable Meal training video from the Maryland State Department of Education
• Smart Snacks training video from the Maryland State Department of Education
• Smarter Lunchrooms Movement Online Trainings
• Resources to support the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

School Wellness Policy information/Know Your Wellness Policy

• School Wellness Policies must include nutrition standards for meals served in the school district. All districts must comply with federal nutrition standards for school meals, but a district may choose to set stricter policies that exceed the federal guidelines.
• The USDA recommends that School Wellness Policies include guidelines for promotion of healthy eating during school meals by making healthy foods convenient and attractive, and applying nutrition marketing strategies. Consult your school district’s wellness policy to find out whether your district has committed to specific strategies for directing students toward healthy choices in the cafeteria.