On a warm Tuesday in late July, a blue van marked with a Transylvania County Schools logo pulled into a gravel driveway and let out a light honk. Seconds later, the door of a house swung open. Two children bounded down the steps and into the arms of the van鈥檚 passengers 鈥� school nutrition employees the students know well because during the school year, they work in their school鈥檚 cafeteria.

The employees greeted the children and their parents, reached into the back of the van, and pulled out food from an insulated container. Prepared earlier that morning in the school cafeteria, lunch that day was tacos made with local .

鈥淚t鈥檚 taco Tuesday!鈥� one of the children announced.

Each child took a bag containing a hot lunch and a breakfast for the next day. The school nutrition employees said a quick goodbye before buckling back in the van and heading to their next stop. 鈥淪ee you tomorrow!鈥� they called out.

This scene unfolds Monday through Thursday, every week of summer break, rain or shine or heat wave, as Transylvania County Schools nutrition staff drive three routes across the rural, mountainous county to deliver free summer meals directly to more than 200children.

And while it is the district鈥檚 third year delivering summer meals, that approach is still rare statewide, with just five sponsors offering it. It鈥檚 also rare for programs to offer daily hot meals, with many instead providing boxes with multiple days worth of shelf-stable or frozen items.

Janette Broda, director of school nutrition in , said the motivation behind the district鈥檚 summer meals program is to meet families where they are, keep staff employed during the summer months, and offer high-quality meals to children who need it the most. And while it鈥檚 more expensive to provide fresh food, she is committed to providing children with the best quality nutrition possible.

鈥淚f we鈥檙e feeding children, don鈥檛 we want to give them fruits and vegetables? Isn鈥檛 that what the program is about?鈥� she said. 鈥淢y guiding light is: Would I serve this food to my own children who are 9 and 11? And if the answer is no, why would I serve it to these children just because it might be cheaper?鈥�

Transylvania County鈥檚 summer meals program has not only become a model in the state 鈥� it鈥檚 also informing national best practices. In January, Broda joined staff from the (CHI) in Washington, D.C. for . There, she spoke on a panel about innovative strategies used to reach children in 鈥渦ltra-rural鈥� communities.

鈥淪he (Broda) is serving a hot meal every day in home delivery, and that鈥檚 not a thing that really any other sponsors are doing,鈥� said Thompson Bertschy, program specialist at the CHI, where he provides support to summer meals sponsors. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 just because she鈥檚 so committed and passionate 鈥� She鈥檚 operating the program to its fullest extent.鈥�

New summer meals models emerge

In 2022, Congress passed legislation that to the federal summer meals program. Beginning in the summer of 2023, sponsors in low-income, rural areas had the permanent option of providing summer meals that can be eaten off-site 鈥� also called or non-congregate meals 鈥� through models like drive-thru, walk-up, home delivery, and more.

Previously, all summer meals had to be eaten at a specific location, like at a public park or library. That requirement created numerous barriers to access, particularly in rural communities where children without transportation often can鈥檛 reach sites.

Now, in Transylvania County, any child can access free summer meals to-go through one of three models.

A 鈥済roceries to-go鈥� model is offered once a week at Pisgah Forest Elementary. Parents drive through a pickup line and receive all the ingredients needed for seven days of breakfast and lunch. That includes frozen meat patties, whole-grain bread, a gallon of milk, and fresh, often-local produce (families received bags of local heirloom tomatoes, plus apples and oranges, on the day EdNC visited).

Alternatively, families can pick up hot lunches and breakfast for the next day, Monday through Thursday, in the parking lot of a local pool. On Thursdays, additional shelf-stable items are provided to cover breakfast and lunch over the weekend.

But for families facing transportation barriers, a third model 鈥� home delivery 鈥� provides a crucial solution.

鈥淭hose barriers can look like no transportation at all, or a one-vehicle family, or a grandmother who鈥檚 taking care of multiple children, or if their road is hard to access, or if we鈥檙e hard to access for them,鈥� Broda said. 

SUN Meals To-Go has gained traction across the state, with more sponsors offering it each year. According to the CHI, there were seven SUN Meals To-Go sponsors in summer 2023, 33 sponsors in summer 2024, , and 60 sponsors in summer 2026.

This growth has allowed sponsors to reach more children. In summer 2025, 5.3 million summer meals were served across the state, up from 4.2 million meals served in summer 2024, according to the CHI.

How home delivery in Transylvania County grew out of moments of crisis

Transylvania County, tucked in the Blue Ridge Mountains between Asheville and Greenville, South Carolina, is also called the 鈥淟and of Waterfalls.鈥� The county is home to roughly 30,000 residents, 250 waterfalls, and multiple national forests 鈥� attracting tourists and retirees alike.

鈥淚t may look affluent 鈥� we have a lot of second and third homes here,鈥� Broda said. But the reality is that are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals.

During the school year, the district uses the federal , available to districts in low-income areas, to provide all students with breakfast and lunch for free. But 鈥渉unger doesn鈥檛 stop when the school year ends,鈥� Broda said, making summer meals a vital support for the district鈥檚 students.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, federal waivers provided schools with the flexibility to offer meals through grab-and-go, curbside pick-up, and home delivery. Soon after schools closed, Transylvania County Schools to ensure students were still being fed.

鈥淭here are three or four trailer park developments that are on top of a mountain with huge poverty, and the children who live in those trailer park areas really can鈥檛 access anything,鈥� Broda said. 鈥淥ur staff are part of that community as well, and they know who the children are. It was a grassroots effort 鈥� going out, having sign-ups, and speaking to the community.鈥�

When home delivery became a permanent option in 2023 through SUN Meals To-Go, Broda said the district used lessons learned from delivering meals during the pandemic to inform its home delivery approach, which launched in the summer of 2024.

But another crisis was right around the corner. In September 2024, just one month into the school year, caused widespread devastation across western North Carolina, wiping out roads, knocking down trees and power lines, and flooding homes. 

Communications were down across the county for days, but Broda used word of mouth and walkie-talkies to convene staff at the district鈥檚 warehouse. Whoever showed up went to work on feeding students. Once again, the district鈥檚 prior experience with home delivery proved valuable.

鈥淎fter the hurricane, that (next) Monday, we were out serving meals. We were closed for two weeks, but we knew how to get meals to the children because we had these routes established from the summer time,鈥� Broda said.

Recognizing there was greater need across the county after Helene, one home delivery route in summer 2024 expanded to two routes in summer 2025 and three routes in summer 2026, aided by funding from the CHI that helped the district purchase materials, supplies, and an additional vehicle.

What does it take to deliver summer meals?

Broda is the first to admit that delivering summer meals is hard, particularly on top of the other responsibilities her team has for serving meals during the school year.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a commitment there 鈥� both for children and for staff to be employed,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut we haven鈥檛 even ended last fiscal year. We are still being audited for last school year, we started summer, and we have to prepare for the next school year 鈥� we鈥檙e doing that all at the same time.鈥�

Broda describes home delivery as a 鈥渄aily grind鈥� 鈥� she never wants to cancel a delivery, so when challenges arise or a staff member can鈥檛 make it in, there鈥檚 a constant need to iterate and adapt. There鈥檚 also the heat, the rain, the traffic, and the 10-hour shifts, all when staff could otherwise be taking a well-earned break.

But at the end of the day, it鈥檚 all worth it, Broda said, because 鈥渁 lot of kids don鈥檛 go home to a fridge that鈥檚 full.鈥� 

鈥淥ur staff put their heart and soul and sweat in this every single day,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese are their cafeteria ladies 鈥� (the children) know them 鈥� and that鈥檚 why our staff get back in the vehicle every day.鈥�

Broda said she and her staff work together to make the program as effective as possible, learning from challenges and iterating each year to improve operations and reach more children. And while she believes there is no one-size-fits-all approach to home delivery, factors that have contributed to the program鈥檚 success include:

• Sound and shared logistics: The district distributes a Google Form in late May to collect signups for home delivery. Parents or guardians have to provide their address, the children鈥檚 names, and a phone number and email address. The district also uses Google Sheets to document everything about the home delivery program, including delivery routes, accountability procedures, eligibility criteria, and more. Using these shared tools allows all staff to seamlessly access information about the program and iterate quickly.
• Consistent delivery times: Families need to know meals will show up at roughly the same time each day so they can be available to receive them. Once signups were collected, routes were created using a combination of artificial intelligence and staff鈥檚 knowledge of local roads. Each route runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and families are given an approximate delivery time based on their sequence in the route. Week over week, that time gets more consistent as the routes are formalized. Instead of approaching doors, staff honk. If no one comes out, they call, and if no one answers, they move on to the next stop.
• Clear communication with families and staff flexibility: In an effort to reduce food waste, families are encouraged to contact the district when they know they won鈥檛 be available, and routes can be adjusted to arrive at better times as needed. Broda said staff learned to remain flexible, open-minded, and ready to adjust delivery routes quickly to best meet families鈥� needs.
• Staff willingness to work: Many child nutrition directors and staff take breaks during the summer months. But operating daily home delivery every week of summer break requires a subset of staff to continue working. In Transylvania County, about 40% of school nutrition staff remain employed through summer meals, which they opt into. Broda requires staff to take a two-week break, but otherwise, they do not take extended leave. This provides consistent employment for those that want to work, but also requires staff to commit to limiting their time off.

Growth in Transylvania County鈥檚 home delivery program has significantly expanded access to summer meals. In the summer of 2025, the district served , a 35% increase from the previous summer.

For tips on home delivery implementation, from the Carolina Hunger Initiative.

What would it take for more districts to do the same?

Before a sponsor can deliver summer meals, they first have to be eligible for and opt into SUN Meals To-Go. From there, the sponsor can choose any number of to serve meals 鈥� including drive-thru, pick-up, and home delivery. Some districts, like Transylvania County Schools, operate multiple SUN Meals To-Go models at once, while others stick to a single approach.

The CHI works to support more summer meals sponsors in offering SUN Meals To-Go. As non-congregate models become more common across the state, Bertschy said the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), which oversees the federal summer meals program, has increasingly provided resources and worked to reduce the administrative burden of operating the program. Given the additional logistics that come with operating SUN Meals To-Go, sponsors have to operate congregate meals for at least one summer before DPI will approve them to serve non-congregate meals.

As of the summer of 2026, 60 of the state鈥檚 100 counties are served by a SUN Meals To-Go program, with most using drive-thru or pick-up models.

At the end of the day, Bertschy said, the decision to offer SUN Meals To-Go often comes down to a sponsor being willing to take a leap of faith. Demand is less predictable than at congregate meal sites, which often serve children enrolled in camps or other programming. Sponsors often have to buy food for non-congregate sites before they know how many families will actually show up, and having enough staff available to work the summer months can also be challenging.

With home delivery, there are also vehicle and fuel costs in addition to the logistics of planning routes, storing food, and keeping staff safe.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just really stepping into the unknown of: 鈥楬ow big is this program going to get?鈥欌�� said Bertschy.

To encourage shared learnings between non-congregate sponsors, CHI is working with DPI to foster a community of practice for non-congregate sponsors by offering office hours, connecting nutrition directors, and coordinating site visits. 

Another critical element of summer meal program success is funding. The majority of funding for summer meals comes from federal per-meal reimbursements, which are in rural areas. Those funds have to cover every cost to operate the program 鈥� including staff, equipment, food, and supplies 鈥� and are often stretched thin.

To supplement federal funding, CHI has provided Transylvania County Schools with nearly $60,000 in grants over the last three years, enabling the home delivery program to expand.

鈥淛anette works really hard to make this the example of what the program could be at its best 鈥� and if people would support the programs properly with funding and what they need, every district could be like this,鈥� said Andrew Harrell, program and communications manager at the CHI. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not because people don鈥檛 want to serve fresh, local foods 鈥� it鈥檚 because they鈥檙e underfunded.鈥�

Broda鈥檚 advice to other sponsors considering home delivery is to start small and stay open-minded and flexible. That might look like starting with one route and working out the kinks for a summer before expanding further.

鈥淗ome delivery meets our children鈥檚 needs the best because we can meet them where they are and give them a hot meal, providing the best quality nutrition we have. And so if you have responsible staff, energy, and motivation to do that, then I would highly suggest it,鈥� she said.

For Yari Rahn, a school nutrition manager who drives one of the home delivery routes, the program does more than provide nutritious food 鈥� it also allows her to touch base with students every day, rain or shine, greeting them with a familiar face and checking in on how they鈥檙e doing.

During one recent stop on her route, a child was so excited that he was waiting down the block from his house for the van to arrive. Once he saw the van pull on to his street, he ran alongside it until it reached his house.

鈥淚t鈥檚 hot, but when those kids come out, it鈥檚 well worth it,鈥� she said.

This first appeared on and is republished here under a .

California is the first state in the country to , aiming to transform how children eat on campus by 2035. 

In the cafeteria of Belvedere Middle School in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a over the next 10 years. The requirements go above and beyond existing state and federal school nutrition standards for things like fat and calorie content in school meals.

California public schools serve nearly 1 billion meals to kids each year.

鈥淥ur first priority is to protect kids in California schools, but we also came to realize that there is huge market power here,鈥� said Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, an Encino Democrat. 鈥淭his bill could have impacts far beyond the classroom and far beyond the borders of our state.鈥�

The legislation builds on recent laws passed in California to and certain additives from all food sold in the state when they are associated with cancer, reproductive harm and behavioral problems in children. Dozens of other states have since replicated those laws. 

The bipartisan measure also comes at a time when U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.鈥檚 鈥淢ake America Healthy Again鈥� movement has shone a spotlight on issues including chronic disease, childhood obesity and poor diet. 

The term 鈥渦ltra-processed food鈥� appears more than three dozen times in the released in May. A subsequent report tasks the federal government with defining ultraprocessed food.

California鈥檚 new law beats them to the punch, outlining the first statutory definition of what makes a food ultraprocessed.

It identifies ingredients that characterize ultraprocessed foods, including artificial flavors and colors, thickeners and emulsifiers, non-nutritive sweeteners, and high levels of saturated fat, sodium or sugar. Often fast food, candy and premade meals include these ingredients.

Researchers say ultraprocessed foods tend to be high in calories and low in nutritional value. Studies have linked . Today, . 

Ultraprocessed foods are also linked to , .

Studies have found to be particularly harmful, said Tasha Stoiber, a senior scientist at the Environmental Work Group, which sponsored the legislation. Kids are particularly susceptible to the effects of ultraprocessed foods, she said.

鈥淯ltraprocessed foods are also marketed heavily to kids with bright colors, artificial flavors, hyperpalatability,鈥� Stoiber said. 鈥淭he hallmarks of ultraprocessed foods are a way to sell and market more product.鈥�

Gabriel said lawmakers and parents have become 鈥渕uch more aware of how what we feed our kids impacts their physical health, emotional health and overall well-being.鈥� That has helped generate strong bipartisan support for the law, which all but one Republican in the state Legislature supported. 

A coalition of business interests representing farmers, grocers, and food and beverage manufacturers opposed it. They argued the definition of ultraprocessed food was still too broad and ran the risk of stigmatizing harmless processed foods like canned fruits and vegetables that include preservatives. Vegetarian meat substitutes also generally contain things like processed soy protein and binders that may run afoul of the definition.

Gabriel contends that the law bans not foods but rather harmful ingredients. The California Department of Public Health now must identify ultraprocessed ingredients that may be associated with poor health outcomes. Schools will no longer allow those ingredients in meals, and vendors could replace them with healthier options, Gabriel said.

Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit  to learn more.

This article was and was republished under the license.

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In 2010, United States lawmakers passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which aimed to tackle both childhood obesity and hunger by making school meals more nutritious. Two years later, the Department of Agriculture updated its guidance for schools participating in the National School Lunch Program, or NSLP, in accordance with the law. Whereas schools could previously serve fat-free, 1 percent, 2 percent, or whole milk and be eligible for federal reimbursement, now they could only recoup meal costs if they ditched 2 percent and whole milk, which were thought to be too high in saturated fat for kids.

Representative Glenn 鈥淕.T.鈥� Thompson has been on a mission to change that. The Republican legislator representing Pennsylvania鈥檚 15th congressional district believes the 2010 law sparked across the board. 鈥淲e have lost a generation of milk drinkers since whole milk was demonized and removed from schools,鈥� he told a local agribusiness group in 2021.

Between 2019 and 2023, Thompson introduced the 鈥� a bill that would allow schools to serve whole milk again under the NSLP 鈥� three times without success.

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In January of this year, he reintroduced the bill 鈥� and inspired a group of animal welfare, environmental, and public health organizations to push for a vegan countermeasure. This month, a bipartisan group of legislators put forward the , or FISCAL, Act, which would expand the definition of milk under the NSLP to include plant-based options. Currently, schools participating in the NSLP can offer milk substitutions to students with a note from a parent or doctor 鈥� but the FISCAL Act is promoting a world where vegan milks are offered freely, alongside cow鈥檚 milk.

If students end up replacing their daily cow鈥檚 milk with a plant-based alternative, this has the potential . But you won鈥檛 hear supporters of the FISCAL Act talking up the climate benefits of plant-based milk in the halls of Congress. Instead, they鈥檙e focusing on the health benefits of soy, oat, and other vegan drinks for students who can鈥檛 digest or simply don鈥檛 want cow鈥檚 milk.

鈥淢ost of this nation鈥檚 children of color are lactose intolerant, and yet our school lunch program policy makes it difficult for these kids to access a nutritious fluid beverage that doesn鈥檛 make them sick,鈥� said Senator Cory Booker, a Democratic co-sponsor of the bill. This focus on student health 鈥斅燼nd the absence of any environmental talking points 鈥� reflect the eternally tricky politics around milk in U.S. schools,聽which have become even more complicated in President Donald Trump鈥檚 second term.

Milk has compared to other animal proteins, like beef, pork, poultry, and cheese. But dairy production still comes with 鈥斅爉ainly from the food grown to feed cows, as well as methane emitted via cow burps and manure. In 2020, researchers at Pennsylvania State University found that through their burps 鈥斅爉eaning, all told, dairy cows are responsible for 2.7 percent of the U.S.鈥檚 total greenhouse gases.

Nondairy milks 鈥斅爁ortified drinks like soy, almond, oat, and rice milk 鈥斅�, but all of these plant-based alternatives use less land and water than cow鈥檚 milk to produce, and result in fewer emissions.

Under the NSLP, schools cannot be reimbursed for the cost of meals unless they offer students milk. The Center for a Humane Economy, an animal welfare and environmental group backing the FISCAL Act, calls this America鈥檚 鈥�.鈥� In 2023, student Marielle Williamson for not allowing her to set up an informational table about plant-based milk unless she also promoted dairy. Subsidized school lunches have been described as 鈥溾�� for farmers鈥� products; this is all but acknowledged when legislators like Thompson blame school lunch for the decline of the dairy industry. Indeed, in a recent Senate agricultural committee hearing over the whole milk bill, Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, said, 鈥淣ot only do school meal programs reduce hunger and promote learning, they also support our local farmers and ranchers at a time when it鈥檚 probably the very worst time I鈥檝e seen in decades鈥� for farmers.

The animal welfare groups backing the FISCAL Act argue schools need more flexibility to meet the needs of students with lactose intolerance. Consumption of milk has fallen consistently since the 1970s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 Economic Research Service. That change is thought to be the result of shifting diets, as well as perhaps a reflection of America鈥檚 growing racial and ethnic diversity. It is estimated that , the protein found in milk and many other dairy products. These rates are higher in Black, Asian American, Hispanic, Native American, and Jewish communities.

鈥淲e鈥檝e had so much marketing to tell us that the milk of a cow is, you know, nature鈥檚 perfect food, and it clearly is not,鈥� said Wayne Pacelle, the head of Animal Wellness Action, an advocacy group that opposes animal cruelty and supports the FISCAL Act.

Pacelle acknowledged the climate impact of the dairy industry: 鈥淚t鈥檚 just a truth that cows are big contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.鈥� But he noted that arguments related to the climate are unlikely to sway the debate over school lunch beverages. 鈥淭he Republican Congress is not really so attuned to that,鈥� he said.

As a result, his group and the others pushing for the FISCAL Act aren鈥檛 talking much about the environmental considerations of drinking cow鈥檚 milk. This aligns with under the second Trump administration, as producers and manufacturers figure out which talking points are most appealing to leaders like Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who has .

The Republicans pushing for whole milk in schools are talking up the health and economic benefits of whole milk, an argument that came into sharp relief during a Senate agricultural committee hearing in early April. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas, who drank from a tall glass of milk before addressing the committee, referenced the term 鈥淢ake America Healthy Again,鈥� or MAHA, when making his case. The movement, popularized by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., taps into wellness, environmental, and food safety concerns in the general public and offers solutions based . Marshall, a co-sponsor of the whole milk bill in the Senate, said MAHA is 鈥渁bout whole foods, and I think we could categorize whole milk as part of鈥� that framework.

While Republicans and Democrats alike may be sidestepping the dairy industry鈥檚 environmental impact and spending more time talking about student health, there is one environmental consideration that鈥檚 caught the attention of advocates of both whole milk and plant-based milk. That鈥檚 food waste, a . Forty-five percent聽of the because students don鈥檛 take them. When students do grab milk at breakfast, a fourth of those cartons still wind up unopened in the trash.

Krista Byler, a food service director for the Union City Area School District in northwestern Pennsylvania, spoke at the Senate agricultural committee hearing and said serving whole milk in her schools helped milk consumption go up, ultimately reducing the amount of milk wasted.

鈥淚 hated seeing such an exorbitant amount of milk wasted daily in our small district and was hearing stories of even bigger waste ratios in larger districts,鈥� Byler said in her written testimony.

A similar case has been made by Pacelle and other supporters of the FISCAL Act, who argue students will be more likely to drink 鈥斅燼nd finish 鈥斅爐heir beverage at school if they have the option to go plant-based.

Recently, the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids bill passed a House agriculture committee vote. If it passes a full House vote, it could then move on to the Senate. Meanwhile, the FISCAL Act is still in committee in both houses of Congress.

Pacelle said the best chance the FISCAL Act has of passing is if its provisions are included as an amendment to the whole milk bill 鈥� framing it not as a rival measure, but as a complementary effort to create more choice for students. 鈥淢oving it independently is unlikely because of the power of the dairy lobby,鈥� said Pacelle, 鈥渁nd the G.T. Thompsons of the world.鈥�

This article originally appeared in at . Grist is a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more at .

School gardens, culturally diverse foods, and options that reflect not only dietary restrictions but also students鈥� preferences: These are just a few of the things the Coalition for Healthy Food in Newark Schools hopes to see in the near future.

Now, thanks to a $3.8 million grant from Novo Nordisk, a health care and pharmaceutical company, these changes might be possible.

According to a press release announcing the coalition鈥檚 launch, the program鈥檚 first year will likely include the planting of more school gardens, further funding for partnerships with local farmers, and in-school nutrition education, among many other initiatives.

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The coalition will use the funding across three years with the first year serving as a baseline assessment to test the greatest needs.

Newark families have long complained about school meals, citing processed and unhealthy lunches. This is a step towards changing that.

The coalition, which officially launched on Oct. 26, is headed by the Greater Newark Conservancy, alongside partners Common Market, FoodCorps N,J., Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, R.W.J. Barnabas Health, United Way of Greater Newark, and the Urban Agriculture Cooperative.

The conservancy has worked to promote environmental, social, and racial justice in the Newark community since 1987, putting on family events centered around nutrition education, leading community garden initiatives, and between July and October, welcoming the Newark community to their expansive farm stand.

Over the course of its community work, the conservancy found that families were generally unhappy with the meals being served to children in Newark鈥檚 public schools.

In recent years, Newark鈥檚 school breakfast and lunch programs have been met with mixed reactions. While families have complained of processed, unhealthy meals, the N.J. Department of Agriculture has praised Newark鈥檚 meal services on several occasions.

In a , the N.J. Department of Agriculture food and nutrition division director Rose Chamberlain said, 鈥淭he Newark Public School District sets an excellent example of how a high-quality school lunch program can work.鈥�

But in October 2021, just days before the N.J. Department of Agriculture gave similar praise to Newark鈥檚 food programs, for their children, most notably through an .

The coalition is hopeful that some of the parents鈥� demands can now be met.

Between August and October of this year, the coalition surveyed a 100-person sample of community members, students, school staff, and food providers in order to assess the issues most pressing in Newark鈥檚 school cafeterias.

The survey showed that access to 鈥渇rom-scratch鈥� food in students鈥� lunches was the most requested change. Survey respondents took issue with the frequency at which students are served heavily processed meals.

Other common complaints included a lack of meals reflecting students鈥� cultures, insufficient nutritional education, and inaccessibility of green space or gardens.

Natasha Dyer, executive director of the Greater Newark Conservancy, said that over the next three years, the coalition will spend about half of the Novo Nordisk funding fortifying existing programs and the other half on piloting new initiatives.

For now, Dyer said, the coalition鈥檚 work will take place in a select number of schools: Hawthorne Avenue, Avon Avenue, Mt. Vernon, Lincoln, McKinley Elementary, Thirteenth Avenue, Harriet Tubman, and Peshine Avenue.

鈥淟uckily, our funding partner is allowing us the flexibility to adjust our plans as we go. Our goal in the first year is to assess our programming and figure out what works with the hope of leveraging policy in the district as a whole,鈥� said Dyer.

Sarah O鈥橪eary, the Greater Newark Conservancy鈥檚 director of youth and family education, said her personal hope is that the coalition鈥檚 work will get more students excited about health and nutrition.

O鈥橪eary said that when children are given the opportunity to try healthy food they do not normally eat, they often discover they like it. She said that cafeteria 鈥渢aste tests鈥� of seasonal vegetables are particularly fun for students who may not have access to certain foods at home.

鈥淔or example, kids love spaghetti squash! Then they go home and tell their parents about it and that can lead to healthier meals even outside of school,鈥� O鈥橪eary said.

Community gardens have a similar effect, said O鈥橪eary. Being surrounded by plants and green space, along with understanding the value of nutritious local produce, can be important for a student鈥檚 development.

鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting for kids to eat something they grew,鈥� O鈥橪eary said. 鈥淕etting to use tools and get their hands dirty to actually grow their own food is the best marketing for nutritious eating.鈥�

This was originally published in Chalkbeat. Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.