Lunch. It’s the midday meal we all look forward to. And for Iowa students of all ages, lunch is an important part of their school day, providing healthy food options that can fuel their development and ongoing learning. For this week’s National School Lunch Week, schools are encouraged to recognize the importance of a healthy school lunch and take part in the celebration.
This year’s National School Lunch Week is themed “Level Up with School Lunch,” which uses a video game motif that assists in attracting a youth audience. Resources for social media, guides on planning district events, fun menu items and more are available for schools to download.
National School Lunch Week has been celebrated since 1962 and highlights the importance of the National School Lunch Program. Nearly 58 million school lunches were served to Iowa students through the National School Lunch Program last year.
“Take time to celebrate National School Lunch Week,” said Kala Shipley, bureau chief of Nutrition and Health Services at the Iowa Department of Education. “It’s a great opportunity to thank your school nutrition staff and get students and families excited about healthy school meals.”
National School Lunch Week runs Oct. 9-13. Schools are encouraged to share their National School Lunch Week events on social media with the hashtags #NSLW23 and #LEVELUPWITHSCHOOLLUNCH. Additional information and resources can be found on the School Nutrition Association website.
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