Distillations | Science History Institute The History of the School Lunch
8 snips
May 29, 2025 
Joining the discussion are Janet Poppendick, a retired professor and author focused on school food reform, and Jane Black, an insightful food journalist. They delve into the intriguing history of school lunches, exploring how crises like the Great Depression shaped nutritional policies. Discover the contradictory hunger amidst agricultural surpluses and the evolution of the National School Lunch Program. They also advocate for universal free school meals as a means to enhance student engagement and combat stigma in food quality.
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Students Critique School Lunch
- Students often describe school lunch as bland and unappealing, rating it mid or below average.
- Despite criticism, hungry kids will still eat the school lunch, showing its functional value.
Birth of School Lunch Programs
- School lunch programs emerged alongside compulsory education to address nutritional needs.
- These programs reflected the recognition of childhood as a distinct life stage needing special care.
Home Economists Shape Nutrition
- Early home economics groups, mostly women scientists barred from other labs, shaped school lunch nutrition.
- They pioneered studying food science and nutrition to improve children's diets in schools.
