Support the school lunch program

To the editor:

National School Lunch Week ran between Oct. 10 and Oct. 14, and all of us at No Kid Hungry New York want to thank the dedicated staff members across New York City schools who provide the consistent nutrition kids need to learn, grow and achieve their dreams.

We know eating school lunch has a powerful impact on kids: Research shows that for many kids, the meals they eat at school are the most nutritionally balanced of the day. When students get regular, healthy meals, they are less likely to be tired, are more attentive in class, and retain information better.

They do better on tests, and can focus on their learning and on just being kids. 

With this year’s record inflation still leaving many of us surprised by the much higher cost of our kid’s favorite foods, families are finding it harder to stretch their grocery budget to prepare meals to send to school each day.

School lunch is a free or affordable option.

So this National School Lunch Week, I hope you’ll join us in recognizing the important role the school lunch program plays in the health and well-being of children, and celebrate the school nutrition professionals who work all year long to provide healthy school meals for our children.

Rachel Sabella

The author is director of No Kid Hungry New York