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In the United States, school meals are provided either at no cost or at a government-subsidized price, to students from low-income families. These free or subsidized meals have the potential to increase household food security, which can improve children's health and expand their educational opportunities.[1] A study of a free school meal program in the United States found that providing free meals to elementary and middle school children in areas characterized by high food insecurity led to increased school discipline among the students.[2]
The biggest school meal program in the United States is the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which was created under President Harry S. Truman in 1946.[3] Its purpose is to prevent malnutrition and provide a foundation for good nutritional health. The text of the National School Lunch Act, which established the program, called it a "measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children and to encourage domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities."[4]
The NSLP currently operates in more than 100,000 public schools, nonprofit private schools, and residential care institutions. It provides more than 5 billion low-cost or free lunches per year to eligible students, with the goal of ensuring nutritious meals for children who might not otherwise have access to a proper diet. In 2012, it served more than 31 million children per day.[5]
- ^ Bartfeld, Judith S.; Ahn, Hong-Min (2011). "The School Breakfast Program Strengthens Household Food Security Among Low-Income Households with Elementary School Children". Journal of Nutrition. 141 (3): 470–475. doi:10.3945/jn.110.130823. PMID 21228262.
- ^ Gordon, Nora E; Ruffini, Krista J (2018). "School Nutrition and Student Discipline: Effects of Schoolwide Free Meals". National Bureau of Economics Research. Working Paper Series. doi:10.3386/w24986. S2CID 169730545. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ "National School Lunch Program (NSLP) | Food and Nutrition Service". www.fns.usda.gov. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 9, 2015. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "National School Lunch Program Fact Sheet" (PDF). fns.usda.gov. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 11, 2017. Retrieved January 13, 2017.