America’s school lunch program is in crisis.
As of last year, the national public school meal debt was approximately $262 million, with 30.4 million students unable to afford their school meals. Those meals aren’t always the most nutritious; while cafeterias slopping out “mystery meat” and cardboard pizza slices are a now teen TV cliché, it’s not far off from the truth. According to the Public Education Review, reheated chicken nuggets, French fries, shriveled hamburgers, iceberg lettuce salads and a bevy of processed foods make up a significant portion of the school lunch program’s offerings.
