School Lunch Program History

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Briefly summarize the history of the School Lunch Program. When and why did it begin?
The School Lunch Program was first initiated under Section 32 of the Agriculture Act passed in 1935. The law outlined which programs would receive donations of surplus USDA foods, which include but is not limited to: schools, non-profit summer camps, and needy families. It was not until after World War II that the National School Lunch Program was fully developed under the National School Lunch Act of 1946. Signed into power by President Truman, the act provided federal cash support for the nation’s school lunches, as during WWII, the USDA was only able to ship a limited amount of food to schools due to food shortages and transportation issues.
What concerns about school lunches are raised in the video? What barriers to change exist? …show more content…

For instance, in the beginning of the video, the episode documented that children were consuming pizza for breakfast, eating mash potatoes made from potato pellets from a bag, and choosing not to consume the healthier options, such as 2% or fat-free milk, as well as throwing away their untouched fruits. The episode also documented the short term and long term health detriments the lunches could have on the children if they continue to eat that way, even proclaiming that generation is projected to not live as long as their parents. However, there are many barriers that stand in the way of altering school lunches that are difficult to amend. For example, the rules set in place by the USDA are quite rigid and convoluted with guidelines that must be followed precisely. Even then, most of the staff workers in the cafeteria are adamant in their ways and are unwilling to

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