School Lunch

The National School Lunch Program serves nutritious meals to K-12 students at little or no cost. In California, all public schools must make at least one such meal per day available to any enrolled student who is determined eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.

CFPA Primary Contact

Markell Lewis
Nutrition Policy Advocate
Oakland Office
510.433.1122 ext. 107
markell@cfpa.net

School Lunch Updates & News

• Congress Members Get a Taste of School Meals

  5.11.2012  In an effort to garner support for school meals, advocacy groups are inviting Congress Members to attend a briefing on Capitol Hill, which will include a selection of school lunches created by high school culinary students. Read more here…

• Upcoming Trainings and Webinars to Support Implementation of New Meal Standards

  5.8.2012 California Department of Education Nutrition Services Division (CDE NSD) is hosting a suite of trainings and webinars to support districts as they transition to the new meal pattern.  Read more here…

• Primer Module on School-based Child Nutrition Programs

  5.8.2012 Understanding Nutrition: A Primer on Programs and Policies in California is an online resource Read more here…

• AB 1594 Heads to Assembly Appropriations on April 18!

  4.12.2012 AB 1594 (Eng) Improving Charter School nutrition will be heard in the Assembly Committee on Appropriations on Wednesday, April 18 at 9:00 am in room 4202. Read more here…

• Healthy Nudges in the Lunchroom

  4.12.2012  Cafeterias in and out of schools are using “nudges” or subtle environmental cues to promote consumption of healthier fare. Read more here…

• AB 1781 Passes Assembly Committee on Education!

  4.11.2012 AB 1781 (Brownley) Boost School Meal Participation: Lining Up to Remove Stigma passed the Assembly Education Committee today, April 11th. A big thanks to Maya Olais and Alejandro Rivera, two youth who testified in support of AB 1781, Read more here…

• Addressing Childhood Obesity Through School Food Procurement Webinar

  4.11.2012  The Public Health Law Center will host a webinar on school food procurement on April 17th at 10 AM (PST). Read more here…

School Lunch Legislation

AB 1594 (Eng)

Improving Charter School Nutrition: Hunger Should Not Be a Choice link

AB 1678 (Monning)

Building Healthy School Environments:
Curb Mobile Vending to Kids link

AB 1781 (Brownley)

Boost School Meal Particpation:
Lining Up to Remove Stigma link

Reports & Data

• Statewide School Meal Statistics

  Participation data for school lunch and school breakfast (2009-10) PDF

• Improving Water Consumption

  Challenges, Promising Practices,
  and Next Steps PDF

• The State of the Plate

  Report on student consumption practices in LA Unified School District PDF

Useful Links

• Nutrition Programs Primer

  School-based programs module link

• USDA Program Data

  Available program data from USDA link

• Menu Planning Examples

  Offered by the CA Department of Education for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program link

• USDA Provision 1, 2 & 3

  For more information on Provision 1, Provision 2, and Provision3 visit USDA FNS link