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The History of American School Lunches
Why it’s so important to provide good nutrition to school children
In 1946, President Harry Truman signed The National School Lunch Act. In his statement, he said:
no nation is any healthier than its children or more prosperous than its farmers; and in the National School Lunch Act, the Congress has contributed immeasurably both to the welfare of our farmers and the health of our children.
Is this true? In this article, I will focus on the supporting the nutritional needs of children; in a later article I will address the importance of supporting family farms.
There are several reasons that nutrition is important for children. These include:
- Supporting a child’s immune system
- Providing essential vitamins and minerals
- Ensuring proper physical growth and development
- Promoting brain development
As far back as 1894, people understood it was harder for hungry children to focus and learn in the classroom. This motivated advocates to call for feeding children. Originally, only Philadelphia and Boston provided school lunches, in 1894. The lunches were funded by welfare organizations, and the children were charged a penny. Later New York…
