National School Lunch Program Assessment

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is one of the largest food and nutrition assistance programs in the United States, feeding millions of children every day. During the 2006 school year, the program served 28 million lunches daily, on average, at a cost of $8 billion for the year.

School meal providers face the task of serving nutritious and appealing school lunches, including free and reduced-price lunches for low-income students, and doing so under budget constraints.

This book is intended as a briefing for policymakers and other stakeholders on the history and basic features of the program. It also addresses steps being taken by school food authorities and USDA's Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) in response to challenges faced by program administrators. One of the main goals on NSLP as identified by Congress is to promote the health and well-being of the Nation's children. In recent years, questions have been raised about the program's ability to meet this goal, especially as the main nutrition problem has shifted from under-nutrition to overweight and obesity. Public concern for the program has focused on whether it is contributing to the growing problem of childhood obesity and on the quality of foods available to schoolchildren. Issues at the Federal level include how to help school meal providers improve the nutritional quality of foods served, as well as how to balance program access and integrity.

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