The National School Lunch Program Essay Example for Free

The National School Lunch schedule EssayThe provision of drilltime meals in America began, as it did in many other lands in a rather irregular way. According to the web site about the history of the School Lunch Program, in New York The Childrens Aid Society started a program in 1853, but it wasnt until Robert Hunters hold back Poverty was published in 1904 that other atomic number 18as re bothy took up the challenge. Hunter felt that it was no veracious having a law that compelled children to go to school if they were so hungry that they couldnt concentrate or construct much benefit. In Philadelphia the Starr Association had begun serving penny dinners in 1894 and in 1908 programs were begun in Boston by the Womens Educational and Industrial Union. The children ate their dinners at their desks, there being at that time no school feed halls. By the end of the 1910 school year 2,000 pupils were being served.Ellen H. Richards wrote in the Journal of inhabitancy Economic s for December 1910,The t severallyers be unanimous in the belief that the luncheons atomic number 18 helping the children both physically and mentally. They are more attentive and interested in the lessons during the last hour of the morning and the result in their recitations gives the proof. The National School Lunch Program started in 1946 under the National School Lunch go signed by the then president Harry S. Truman, though school meals had been standd for many years in front that finished foods and subsidies from the United States Department of Agriculture. The reasoning behind the act was not just upkeep, but bailiwick security.This was because when America entered World War II it order that many recruits were of poor physical condition, especially those who had self-aggrandizing up in poor families during the depression years of the 30s. As soon as that warfare finished America began to think about the next wave of conscription as it expected to entertain to fig ht communism in the near future. It was mainly under the auspices of General George C. Marshall, a penis of the cabinet. According to the statute book its aims were as follows-It is hereby declared to Congress, as a measure of national security, to safeguard the health and well-being of the Nations children and to encour come along domestic consumption of nutritious verdant commodities and other food, by assisting the States, through grants-in-aid and other means, in providing an adequate supply of foods and other facilities for the establishment, maintenance, operation, and expansion of nonprofit school lunch programs.The federally assisted program now operates in 100,000 both public and common soldier schools. 7.1 million children benefited in the first year and the program now provides lunches to 29 million school children each day. The exist in 1947 was $70 million, but by 2005 it was $7.9 billion a huge investment in the future health of the nation. The aim is that meals are free or at a low cost and that they are nutritionaryly balance. In 1998 the program was expanded to include young people up to the age of 18 and to a fault to include snacks served to children at after school educational and enrichment programs. At state take aim it is usually under the state education authorities who operate through agreements with the school food authorities. commonly it is high schools, both public and non-profit making close ones, who participate as well as private residential child care facilities who take part in the program. I t works by giving both cash and commodities to the institutions involved, the latter, hit the hayn as entitlement foods coming from the U.S. Department of Agriculture at a value of 16.75 cents for each meal served. They may also be given extra food from spare stocks. In return the schools must meet federal standards in the food that they serve and offer these freely or at a reduced price to qualified children. Other support is available through the USDAs Team Nutrition who provide nutritional and technical help and also provide nutritional education for pupils.The schools may decide for themselves which foods are served, but must comply with Federal nutritional guidelines which state that no more than 30% of calories should come from fatty and less than 10% from saturated fat. They should also provide at least one third of the recommended needs for protein, vitamins, iron, calcium and calories.The meals are available to all children at schools which take part in the program. Those with incomes of less than $26,000 for a family of 4 i.e.130% of the poverty level issue forth their meals free. Those with incomes between this and $37,000 i.e.185 % of the poverty level, get their meals at the subsidised price of no more than 40 cents. These figures are valid until June 30th, 2007. Other children pay more, but the school meal services must be evaporate on a non-profit basis.When it comes to after school sna cks if more than half the children in an area are eligible for free or reduced price school meals, then snacks may be free too. Reimbursements to the schools set out a little. Those in Alaska and Hawaii receive more, as do schools with a very high part of poorer pupils. in that location are links with local producers who sess provide fresh food such as salad vegetables and fruit. The USDA works with the Department of Defence to provide food purchased through the Department of Defence. The supplies are monitored for fat content and their safety.Programs such as this provide children with the possibility of at least one nutritionally match meal a day. This may be prepared in a central kitchen, either r private or belonging to the educational authorities and distributed to schools. Other schools have their own kitchens. What the program cant do is ensure that the meals are eaten rather than some fast food bought in or bough tin school from vending machines.. they also cannot ensur e that the rest of a childs nutrition is balanced or indeed that he gets enough other food.They educate children about nutrition, but children are not usually the food buyers or cooks at home. It may be, especially in the case of minorities and unexampled arrivals, that the children find school meals unpalatable simply because they are different to what they get at home. Vending machines are in schools which provide other foods at extra cost which are not necessarily nutritionally so good such as chips and soda. There will always be children who prefer these. It would be a dictator who insisted that every one ate the same food, but do these poorer foods have to be so freely available? However many schools raise much needed funds in this way, though child obesity it must be said is a growing concern.For many children their school lunch is the main meal of the day. It is easy to give in to the demands for fast foods, even when those doing so know that they are ultimately harmful. Sch ools can either use a Nutrient Standard or the aged food Group system when choosing the foods they provide. The Nutrient Standard is more accurate in providing a balanced diet, but most schools still prefer the older system. Choice USA recommends that parents regularly review the food that their children are receiving and discuss their choices with them.The child Nutrition Act of 1966 followed on from the National School Lunch Act. under this act free or low breakfasts could also be provided. This had been initiated by the Black Panther company earlier. President Johnson said when he gave his signature to the act Good nutrition is essential to good learning.There had also been a Special Milk Program which began in 1954. The United States tries to care for all its citizens and so there is also a Child and Adult Care Food Program for both children and aged and mentally or physically impaired adults in non-residential centers, and the Food Stamp program which began in 1953, so there h as been a move away from just ensuring that those called to military service are fit to serve. wholly this from such small beginnings in one New York school.Electronic SourcesChild Nutrition Act found 30th whitethorn 2007http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Child_Nutrition_ActChoice USA found 30th May 2007 at http//www.choiceusa.net/Parents_NSLP.htmlThe history of school meal programs found 30th May 2007 athttp//www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Lunch/AboutLunch/ProgramHistory_2.htmNational School Lunch Program found 30th May 2007 athttp//www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Lunch/AboutLunch/NSLPFactSheet.pdfSchool Nutrition found 30th May 2007 at http//www.schoolnutrition.org/uploadedFiles/ASFSA/childnutrition/govtaffairs/nsla.pdf