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Beyond the tray EP 2-How the Menu Was Made
What ends up on a school lunch tray is the result of decades of decisions—some driven by nutrition, others by economics, policy, and scale. In Epsidoe 2 of Beyond the Tray, we trace how school meals evolved from informal, locally run programs into a national system feeding millions, and how that growth changed not just how food is served, but what gets served in the first place.
From Depression-era commodity programs to modern nutrition standards, we explore the forces that continue to shape school food today. Because behind every tray is a system trying to balance competing priorities—and not always getting it right.
Want to chat? Have an idea for a future episdode? Want to know more about RHI?
Contact us Here
Want to learn more about the history of school nutrition, or just simply want to check our facts? Here's where we got our info. it's a lot, but it's all very interesting
Sources:
https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/school-nutrition-standards-updates
https://www.foodtimeline.org/foodschools.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://schoolnutrition.org/journal/fall-2007-commodity-foods-is-it-time-for-change/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/american-schools-have-been-feeding-children-for-more-than-100-years-heres-how-the-school-lunch-has-changed-180986583/
https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/child-nutrition-programs/national-school-lunch-program
https://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/resource/data-brief-2023-24-school-meals-participation
https://assets.press.princeton.edu/chapters/i8640.pdf
https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/BAIC/Historical-Essays/Keeping-the-Faith/Crafting-Institutional-Identity
https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern
https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2011/11/23/congress-protects-pizza-vegetable-school-lunches
https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics/
https://www.mashed.com/1262092/what-school-lunches-looked-like-during-great-depression/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://archive.org/details/CAT31293900/page/n1/mode/2up
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By RHI SolutionsWhat ends up on a school lunch tray is the result of decades of decisions—some driven by nutrition, others by economics, policy, and scale. In Epsidoe 2 of Beyond the Tray, we trace how school meals evolved from informal, locally run programs into a national system feeding millions, and how that growth changed not just how food is served, but what gets served in the first place.
From Depression-era commodity programs to modern nutrition standards, we explore the forces that continue to shape school food today. Because behind every tray is a system trying to balance competing priorities—and not always getting it right.
Want to chat? Have an idea for a future episdode? Want to know more about RHI?
Contact us Here
Want to learn more about the history of school nutrition, or just simply want to check our facts? Here's where we got our info. it's a lot, but it's all very interesting
Sources:
https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/school-nutrition-standards-updates
https://www.foodtimeline.org/foodschools.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://schoolnutrition.org/journal/fall-2007-commodity-foods-is-it-time-for-change/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/american-schools-have-been-feeding-children-for-more-than-100-years-heres-how-the-school-lunch-has-changed-180986583/
https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/child-nutrition-programs/national-school-lunch-program
https://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/resource/data-brief-2023-24-school-meals-participation
https://assets.press.princeton.edu/chapters/i8640.pdf
https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/BAIC/Historical-Essays/Keeping-the-Faith/Crafting-Institutional-Identity
https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/nutrition-standards/nslp-meal-pattern
https://www.realchangenews.org/news/2011/11/23/congress-protects-pizza-vegetable-school-lunches
https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics/
https://www.mashed.com/1262092/what-school-lunches-looked-like-during-great-depression/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
https://archive.org/details/CAT31293900/page/n1/mode/2up