How School Lunches Will Be Impacted By Biden's Plan To End Hunger
During the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health on September 28, 2022, President Joe Biden announced his plans to eradicate hunger in the United States in the next eight years. According to Feeding America, nearly 34 million people — including 9 million children — struggle with hunger and food insecurity in the United States.
It was previously reported that Pres. Biden plans to increase access to healthy foods for families, as well as increase nutrition and exercise programs for people nationwide in order to address their individualized health goals. In addition, the president's plan will make it easier for families to afford healthy, nutritious food, according to the strategy released by the White House. During the conference, Pres. Biden also announced his plans to improve school lunch programs nationwide — both in terms of the nutrition of the lunches themselves as well as how many students are eligible to receive them. The plan would allow more students access to better food.
Biden's plan benefits school-aged children
As part of the American Rescue Plan, more children will be eligible for free school lunches, as President Joe Biden stated during the White House Conference. According to the strategy released by the White House, the ultimate goal of this plan is to achieve universal free school lunches for 9 million more school-aged children in America's public schools by the year 2032.
For children who already eat lunch at school — free or otherwise — Pres. Biden's administration is also reportedly working on an initiative to connect schools to local farms. As a result, the schools can purchase fresh, organic produce from nearby farmers to support local businesses while providing healthier food for students.
Pres. Biden's plan also includes increased training for school kitchen employees so that children can access freshly-cooked meals instead of frozen or pre-packaged. "We're also supporting schools so they can cook from scratch," Biden said in a video of the conference posted by CNBC. The program would fund training for kitchen staff as well as purchasing better cooking equipment for schools.