When you think of school lunch a picture of meaty slop or a plastic bottle of milk may come to mind. Modern public schools in America are expected to serve a lunch to its students at a set price which may be reduced depending on the student’s home economic situation. Public schools throughout much of history have been known to provide lunch to their students. Origins of the school lunch in the United States can be found with Harry Truman’s signing of the National School Lunch Act in 1946, which is the building block for the National School Lunch Program. Truman initiated this program in order to allocate a use for the surplus grain from subsidized farms around the country after World War II. Over the past 70 years, this law has remained in place, yet has become a much more controversial topic.

There is an overall consensus in the United States that school lunches are an appreciated means of providing nutrients to children every day, yet it is arguable just how nutritious these meals actually are. When school lunches were implemented in the 40s, there was a direct connection between farms being funded by the government and the food that kids were served. Today this still proves true, but seems to be an issue with its conflict of interest. The same people who are paying for the production of the product are the ones who encourage kids to eat it. This means that students are being provided food that lacks nutrition as has been proved by a multitude of studies and is backed up with much research.

The products fed to students may have thought to properly nourish them in the past, but people are becoming more and more aware of the practicality of vegetarian/veganism. Not only do animals go through a torturous process in order to provide their bodies and everything in them to humans, but they also cause health problems to those who eat them. This is illustrated through the connection of the eating of animal products to diseases such as diabetes and heart disorders. The reason schools initially implemented school lunches was to provide the kids with a nourishing meal that they may not otherwise be provided at home. In modern times, they have strayed from this goal as it has been proven that the things they are feeding kids don’t provide the best nutrients possible. In alternative to the main option, a student may ask for a vegetarian meal, typically meaning a cheese or peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Overall, it would be accepting and diversifying for the school systems to further advance the school lunch program with a vegan option so that all students can see a healthier lifestyle. This would especially aid those with dietary restrictions. Conclusively, adding a better vegetarian/vegan option would help the school lunch program to go back to its roots and return to the point of focusing on each student’s nutrition.