School lunch is a noon meal served to children in school. Public schools in Germany, France, and other European countries began to serve lunches in the 1800’s. By 1900, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and other large cities began to feed children at school. By 1925, many city and country schools throughout the United States served lunches.
The value of a hot lunch at school greatly impressed both parents and teachers. Gradually, many schools came to employ lunchroom managers with training in family and consumer sciences or dietetics. Most teachers now accept lunch programs as important educational devices for teaching good eating habits and social skills.
Federal assistance to school lunch operations began in 1933. The number of children participating increased, and the nutritional quality of the lunches improved. A Type-A lunch supplies from one-third to one-half of a child’s daily nutritional requirements. It contains foods from all of the basic food groups. The National School Lunch Program provides lunches for about 24 million children daily. Students from low-income families generally receive free lunches or reduced-price lunches. A related program, the National School Breakfast Program, provides free or low-cost breakfasts at school for needy children. This program serves about 4 million children every day.
The school lunch program costs the federal government more than $5 billion each year. The school breakfast program costs the government over $1 billion yearly. State and local groups contribute funds that help support these programs.
