Marygrace Taylor is an Associate Editor for KIWI magazine. Growing up, her favorite school lunch was mac and cheese.
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the words “school lunch?” Likely, it’s plastic trays piled high with the unidentifiable goop many of us had to endure as kids. Well, take another look (or bite) because school lunch is not what it used to be! That’s become pretty apparent as we here at KIWI magazine opens in a new tab have sought out hundreds of schools across the country that serve up healthy, wholesome meals to receive our annual KIWI Crusaders awards -- a search for schools dedicated to serving nutritious fare. To celebrate what’s great about school lunch, and for a fun, positive way for parents, schools, and communities to work together to make it even better, KIWI magazine teamed up with the School Nutrition Association opens in a new tab (SNA) to launch National Take Your Parents to Lunch Day opens in a new tab.
Last year, parents all across the country lined up next to their kids with cafeteria trays for the first-ever Take Your Parents to Lunch Day. It was a big success. At Mystic Valley Charter School in Malden, Massachusetts, moms, dads and kids dined on ravioli with basil marinara sauce and green beans. In the fourteen elementary schools in Utah’s Provo City School District, the menu featured rosemary chicken, rice pilaf, steamed vegetables, whole grain rolls, fresh local melon and oatmeal cookies. “It was a great way for parents to see what’s actually happening at lunch,” says the district’s Child Nutrition Director Jenilee McComb. “And we served exactly what we’d be serving anyway. We’re proud of what the kids are eating.”This year, KIWI magazine and the School Nutrition Association have joined forces with Whole Kids Foundation® opens in a new tab and Stonyfield Organic opens in a new tab to make the second annual Take Your Parents to Lunch Day even bigger and better. It’s happening on Wednesday, October 17th, and it’s not too early to start thinking about how you might bring this fun, community-minded event to your child’s school. Visit myhealthyschool.com/lunchday opens in a new tab to learn how you can get started. Or, download KIWI magazine’s free iPad app opens in a new tab and get our digital Lunch Day issue!
Hope to see you in the lunch line on October 17th! Tell me, what was your favorite school lunch?
