5 Reasons My Son Will Be Eating School Lunch This Year

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This post is brought to you by the School Nutrition Association, but all opinions are my own.

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to check out the School Nutrition Association Annual National Conference. I learned so much- I never knew how much went into it! As a kid, food just kind of… showed up. And as a parent, I never really gave it a second thought because Shane has almost always just brought his lunch from home.

This year, that’s changed.

It was partly his idea, because he is starting to get more adventurous and eats more than two different foods. But it was also because of some light encouragement on my part. After having my eyes opened to everything that goes on to get school lunches made, I was convinced that getting “hot lunch”- at least some of the time- was the way to go. Read on to find out what made me think that!

Exposure to new food

Like I said, Shane is starting to like more foods these days. He just turned nine and his taste buds are growing, and his aversion to trying new things is {finally} starting to dissipate. I try to include new foods in our meals at home, but it’s even easier when Shane can try something new at school! It’s been fun watching him experiment with different foods to see what he does and doesn’t like. At the conference, I saw lots of foods that I never expected to see in a school lunch- things like salad bars, street tacos, and even soup- and I’m excited for Shane to give them a chance and hopefully find new foods that he likes.

More convenient for busy students

This one doesn’t apply as much to Shane specifically yet, although it will in a couple of years when he’s in middle school. I remember from my own days in school, it wasn’t always the most convenient to go to the lunchroom to eat lunch- often, I would only have a 15 minute “lunch” break and my classes before and/or after would be across campus from the cafeteria. These days, schools are picking up on that- and delivering food to where your kids are. Many schools are implementing food trucks, food carts, and other ways to get your kids fed- fast. Rather than having to walk across campus, wait in line, and end up with only a minute or two to scarf food down, kids can easily get their lunch and eat it where it’s convenient for them.

Made locally

I always imagined that the trays we got for hot lunch as a kid were all made in a big factory, just like the TV dinners we ate sometimes at home. I had no idea that a lot of that food is made locally- whether at your child’s school or at a neighboring school {depending on if your school has a full kitchen}.

Affordable

When I packed Shane’s lunches every day, I thought I was saving money every time. But when I realized that lunches here are just $2, and then I added up everything that I put into his lunch boxes, I realized that I’m actually spending more on his homemade lunches! It’s often cheaper {depending on the price of lunch at your school} to get hot lunch.

{Note: If cost is a major issue, many schools offer free or reduced price lunches to those who qualify. Be sure to check with your child’s school.}

One less thing to do

Now that I have two kids in two different schools, it feels like I’m juggling more than ever before. Two pick up and drop off times, two PTA meetings, two calendars with different days off- the list goes on. Luckily, on days where Shane buys lunch at school, I only have to make one lunch. {And next year when Zac is in kindergarten, he’ll probably get hot lunch sometimes too!}

Whether you have a kindergartner just starting out or kids in high school, I strongly encourage you to look closer at your child’s school lunches. It’s likely that what’s going on in the cafeteria will surprise you- in a good way! From updating nutritional standards to getting fresher ingredients to making lunchtime more convenient overall, I think school lunch is really on point now and I see even more amazing things on the horizon!

If you want to learn more about my experience at the School Nutrition Association Annual National Conference, be sure to check out my post all about it!

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