This week marks National School Lunch Week, when we spotlight the role schools play in helping combat childhood hunger and recognize the dedication of our food service workers fighting that battle.

The National School Lunch Program was established in 1946 to provide nutritious meals to children who might not otherwise have access to a daily meal. The program expanded to include breakfast, again recognizing that providing all students with the fuel their minds and bodies need to grow is vital.

National School Lunch Week was created in 1962 to publicize the fact that hunger can keep kids from learning and to emphasize the important role schools play in providing healthy, nutritious food to students.

A third of parents eat their kids’ lunchbox rejects for dinner, according to a recent poll.

The survey of 2,000 parents with school-aged children took an in-depth look at the American child’s palate, nutrition and how parents get creative to keep their kids fed.

According to parents, although more than one in five (17%) said their child’s lunch is much more gourmet than they had as a kid, parents estimate that  21% of their child’s lunch comes home uneaten at the end of the day, on average.

And when they’re not eating the leftovers themselves (29%), parents said they’ll offer leftover lunch as an afterschool snack (25%) or put it back in the fridge or pantry (22%). Although 41% admit throwing leftovers away.

Commissioned by NatureSweet and conducted by Talker Research, the survey took a close look at how school lunches have changed over the years.

There’s been quite an evolution according to parents with 43% saying today’s school lunches are healthier than theirs ever were, while over a quarter (28%) said there’s more variety.

Although the classic sandwich (61%), chips (56%) and juice (52%) combo is the most popular lunch for kids these days.

When asked about their kid’s least favorite lunch foods, parents listed snap peas (40%) and green beans (36%), along with tuna salad (36%) and hard-boiled eggs (32%).

But when it comes to kids’ food preferences, parents cited quick foods (50%), fresh foods (38%), foods kids can pack themselves (31%) and non-messy foods (30%) as the biggest factors for what kids like in their lunch.

And parents most prioritize nutrients (54%), taste (45%) and cost (33%) when grocery shopping for their kids.

But when thinking of the school schedule grind, the majority of respondents (60%) feel guilty when feeding their children more easy, unhealthy foods rather than whole foods due to being busy (20%) and pickiness (21%).

And the situation is multi-layered as many labeled themselves as “stressed” (30%) and “struggling” (21%) parents.

So, more than a few (79%) have gone to dramatic lengths to gatekeep unhealthy foods from their kiddos, like avoiding them at the store (30%), hiding them (18%), and telling white lies (13%).

“As many parents know, it can be challenging to get your kids to eat what’s in their lunchbox, especially whole foods,” said Dr. Martin Ruebelt, chief scientific officer at NatureSweet. “With this study, we wanted to shine a light on how parents go the extra mile to give their kids healthy, nutritious foods, and the ways they get creative to keep their kids well-fed.”

According to results, the trick is in the presentation: One in three (31%) disclosed they buy snacks and foods with fun packaging that they know will excite their child. And a quarter (24%) rely on cute containers and lunchboxes.

More than half (54%) even said their kid is more likely to eat food if its packaging has their favorite TV show character on it.

But appearances aside, parents said they’re working to educate their kiddos about wellness by actively teaching them about healthy foods and diet (42%), modeling healthy eating (34%) and prioritizing healthy habits in the family’s schedule (31%).

“Incorporating whole foods and produce into your family’s diet and busy lifestyles isn’t as time-consuming as it once was,” adds Dr. Ruebelt. “There are so many grab-and-go healthy snacking options on the market that incorporate whole foods such as produce that are delicious, convenient, and more importantly, kid approved.”

Survey methodology:

This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 parents of kids aged 5-17 was commissioned by NatureSweet between June 4 and June 11, 2024. It was conducted by market research company Talker Research, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).

Anyelin Ortega told Colorado lawmakers recently that the lunch line at her high school can be 25 minutes long, often leaving the 17-year-old only five minutes to finish her food.

“It is very disrespectful and demanding for any person to be rushed from eating,” said Ortega, who attends a Denver charter school. “After lunch, I have found myself feeling very anxious and irritated from the lack of energy from having an empty stomach.”

LINK: PCS HELPS SPEED KIDS THROUGH THE LINE WITH WEB POS

Ortega was among the students and advocates who testified in favor of a bill that would create a “time-to-eat” task force to evaluate topics including how much time the state’s school districts are giving students to eat lunch and whether students have recess before or afterward.

Colorado does not mandate schools set aside a certain number of minutes for lunch. Those decisions are left to school districts or individual schools.

The task force would examine the outcomes associated with those decisions, such as students’ academic performance, their behavior, and how much food is wasted because students can’t finish their lunches. The task force would write a report with recommendations for school districts to adopt policies “that allow for increased time to eat,” the bill says.

“It breaks my heart when I see students repeatedly pick up their tray and shovel a few more bites into their mouths as they hold (it) over a trash can and throw away half of their food,” Shannon Thompson of the Colorado School Nutrition Association told lawmakers at a hearing last week. “As a registered dietitian, I work in school nutrition to feed kids, not trash cans.”

Rep. Jenny Willford, a Northglenn Democrat, said House Bill 1301 is based on her personal experience as a parent. When her son started in elementary school, Willford said he was having behavior issues after lunch. She said she worked with the school to figure out the root cause: Her son would play hard at recess but then not have enough time to eat lunch.

“You can’t learn when your tummy is hungry,” Willford said.

House Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, a Colorado Springs Republican, said she agreed to co-sponsor the bill because she had a similar experience with her own children.

In addition to hungry students and wasted food, Pugliese pointed out another problem with short lunch periods: wasted money. Colorado voters approved a measure in 2022 making school meals free for all students, and this is the first year it’s in place. But more students are eating than expected, and the state is having to shore up the program with extra funding.

“From a fiscally conservative perspective, we don’t want to be investing money in food that’s being thrown away,” Pugliese said.

Cade Nelson, a sophomore at Legend High School in Parker, told lawmakers that he supports the free meals program. But he said it’s caused the lunch lines at his school to grow.

“The free lunch essentially does not matter because I’ve seen people run out of time to eat,” Nelson said. “If we had more time to eat, I think everybody would be much happier.”

The bill passed the House Education Committee last Thursday on a 10-1 vote. Most of the pushback and hesitation was not related to the task force but to a separate grant program in the bill meant to promote more physical activity and play during the school day.

An association of Colorado physical education teachers had concerns that the grant program could supplant P.E. teachers. But the committee approved an amendment requiring schools to have a P.E. teacher on staff in order to apply for the grant funding.

Rep. Anthony Hartsook, a Parker Republican, was the only lawmaker to suggest scrapping the time-to-eat task force in favor of a mandate that school districts lengthen lunch times.

“Why not do a mandate?” Hartsook said. “They need more time to eat, they need more time to play. Duh. We all know that. So why are we waiting?”

But Willford said school scheduling is a tricky balance that must take into account the amount of instructional time required by the state. She said she worried a mandate would cause problems.

“If we move straight to a mandate, it becomes a bit of an unfunded mandate for local school districts,” Willford said. “My hope is that the task force comes back with a number of unique models of how we can implement longer periods for school lunch that is reflective of the diversity of schools we have across our state.”

Hartsook voted yes on the bill. The sole no vote was from Republican Rep. Don Wilson.

The bill says the task force would make its recommendations by Feb. 1, 2025. Task force members would include students, parents, educators, school board members, teachers union representatives, and representatives from community organizations.