Free breakfast and lunch for every public school student — an idea associated more with countries like Sweden and Finland — should instead be viewed as a truly American policy that liberals and conservatives can both love. Want complete meritocracy? Then you should be furious that some kids can't focus in class or during tests because they're hungry. Want to compete globally? Eating better raises student test scores. Want to make America healthy again? Professional kitchen staff serving nutritionally balanced meals to everyone actually beats harried parents trying to cobble together a lunch sack. Want less government interference? Universal programs eliminate the invasive bureaucratic hassle of asking every student’s family about their income. School meal programs have even been found to lower grocery prices in local communities. Nine states have made free meals universal, and others have expanded access, so this ball is rolling.

Read more:

• Solutions: Free School Meals - by Kathryn Anne Edwards [2024]
• How Free School Meals Went Mainstream - The New York Times [2024]
• School Lunch Debt Statistics: Total + Costs per Student [2025]

Brown paper bags and ketchup as a Vegetable

• A story too good to check: Paul Ryan and the tale of the brown paper bag - The Washington Post [2014]
• Why Michelle Obama Is Wrong on School Lunches | The Heritage Foundation [2014]
• U.S. Holds The Ketchup In Schools - The Washington Post [1981]
• U.S. Federal Register from 1981 [see page 49]