School Meals in The Classroom

Every student deserves access to healthy, nutritious food. Serving meals in the classroom improves the well-being of students, especially low-income students who rely on school meal programs.

To implement this program, school nutrition staff, students, or teachers deliver meals to classrooms, or students pick up meals from multiple locations at school, and then eat in their classroom as part of the school day.

Serving meals in the classroom:

  • Promotes racial equity, reduces stigma and helps address the needs of Black, indigenous, and students of color who are often at greater risk of food insecurity due to the impacts of structural racism

  • Increases school meals participation which means increased funding, enabling schools to serve even more students, hire more staff, and further invest in high-quality meals

  • Allows for social distancing and provides a safer environment for students and school staff returning to in-person learning during the COVID-19 pandemic