Far Out! It’s Almost National School Lunch Week

Date: September 28, 2022 Posted by Linnea Mail Twitter Facebook

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) serves nearly 30 million children every school day. President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week (NSLW) in 1962 to promote the importance of a healthy school lunch in a child’s life and the impact it has inside and outside of the classroom. #NSLW22 will be celebrated October 10-14 and it’s a prime opportunity to promote the value of your school lunch program to parents, students, staff, and your community.  

As you probably already know, NSLW isn’t just important—it’s also a lot of fun! If your school wants to join in, you can incorporate the theme as much or as little as you’d like into your celebration. We encourage you to get your groove on with this year’s funky and fun theme: Peace, Love, & School Lunch.  

Need ideas for how to celebrate? Here are some fun ways to make NSLW a success at your school:

• Decorate your cafeteria and serving line to reflect the 60s and 70s theme. Think disco balls, flower-power, peace signs, and more! Showcase your commitment to serving nutritious meals by incorporating food and nutrition messages into your display. 
• Play some groovy tunes to get into the spirit! Simply search for 60s and 70s playlists or “NSLW 22” on Spotify, Apple Music, or other streaming services to take out the guesswork building a playlist yourself.
• Get in touch with local personalities like your mayor, athletes, news anchors, or school mascot, and invite them to stop by your cafeteria at lunchtime to eat with the students. You can also invite teachers or your school principal to act as guest servers for lunch one day.
• Unleash your inner flower child or dancing queen and pull out your bell bottoms, tie-dyed shirts, leisure suits, and disco boots. It’s time to dress up and embrace the spirit of the 60s and 70s with a fun costume.
• Set up a taste test of new menu items. Having students taste healthy food items is at the heart of nutrition education, because if students can try and like healthier foods, they’ll be more likely to become healthier eaters. 

However you choose to celebrate the occasion, be sure to post photos on social media with the hashtag #NSLW22. Drop us a note or tag us (@menufreedom on Instagram or fb.com/nutristudentsk12) to share your celebration as well!