From Learning
To Eating...
My School Food Experience in NYC
Given that school is a public institution, nourishing the bodies and minds of students is its fundamental obligation.
Yet, we often fall short.
— Amy L. Best, Fast-Food Kids
Welcome to "From Learning to Eating"
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As revealed by authors such as Amy L. Best (Fast-Food Kids) and Susan Levine (School Lunch Politics), school food in the United States has constantly been an issue examined by policymakers, food activists, NGOs, and the larger academia. From the National School Lunch Program started in 1946, to the later School Breakfast Program, it is evident that there has been government effort to support food access in the school setting.
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According to the 2017-2018 data from New York State Education Department, about 75% of public school children in New York City received free or reduced-price school lunch, compared to an average of 48% in the entire New York State.
Additionally, being the largest public school system in the US, the NYC Department of Education serves around 1.1 million students across over 1700 schools, providing them with around 940,000 meals each school day (The Office of Food & Nutrition Services).
The high percentage of free or reduced-price school lunch in NYC, as well as the large student population served by the NYC Department of Education, reveals that a substantial amount of students in public schools have experience with food served in the school setting. Even though data on private and chartered schools is not shown, many private institutions hire food companies like FLIK to serve meals to the students throughout the day.
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The food environment and nutrition education in schools not only directly shape the children’s nutrition intake, but also shape the children’s understanding of food and their practice of healthy behaviors. However, do the foods currently offered by the schools appropriately address the nutritional needs of the children? How are the children influenced and educated? What is the students' eating experience like at the schools?
Through blog posts that examine the K-6 school environments in NYC and food choices offered at the locations, this website reflects on the children's experiences and the support provided by the schools. Feel free to use the tabs below or on top of the page to navigate to more content.
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Thank you
Thank you for visiting the website!
A special thank-you to Professor Figueroa for the opportunity to build this fun website, and to the staff and children at the schools for all the support.
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Consent was obtained for videos and photographs.