MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com)- Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) is highlighting the importance of healthy eating during National School Lunch Week (NSLW).
MCPS says NSLW is an opportunity to educate students about healthy choices, encourage the importance of physical activity, and highlight the nutritious foods available at the county’s schools.
“National School Lunch Week helps us educate parents and students about all the wonderful benefits of our lunch program,” says Ramona Belcher, Supervisor of Food and Nutrition Services for MCPS.
First started by President John F. Kennedy in 1962, NSLW promotes the impact of healthy school lunches on a student’s well-being, both in and out of the classroom.
MCPS says this year’s theme, “School Lunch Pirates: Find Your Treasure,” echoes that sentiment by highlighting the importance of a healthy school lunch to a student’s overall success.
“School lunches offer students fruits and vegetables, whole grains and milk, and meet federal nutrition standards limiting fat, calories, and sodium,” says Belcher.
During this week, MCPS also recognizes the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), originally established by President Harry Truman in 1946 as part of the National School Lunch Act.
Today, the program feeds nearly 33 million students nationwide, including 33,000 local students in Marion County.
According to MCPS, cafeteria workers have served 1.3 million meals to students this school year, marking a 6% increase for lunch and a 5% increase for breakfast compared to last year’s numbers.
Visit the Marion County Public Schools’ website for more information on National School Lunch Week.