NSLP provides nutritionally balanced meals to private and public schools. (Photo: World Economic Forum)
The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides daily nutritious meals for public and private schools. Federal child nutrition programs like NSLP manage child malnutrition and encourage good diet. With 1 in 5 children in the US being malnourished, this program plays a vital role in low-income children’s long-term health and educational development.
NSLP provides nutritionally balanced meals to private and public schools. (Photo: National Institute of Health).
READ ALSO: Walmart Customers Left Astounded Upon Discovery That The Retail Giant Still Doesn’t Accept Apple Pay
Who is Qualified for this Program?
The NSLP is a state aid program that offers a highly nutritional diet per food served.
Children below the poverty line are eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. Children with families below the 130 percent threshold or those entering SNAP or TANF qualify for free meals. Households with incomes from 130 to 185 percent of the poverty line can take advantage of reduced-price meals. Also, Summer Food Service Program provides children with nutritious meals and snacks during summertime.
The National School Lunch Program is provided to 94% of Feeding America client households with school-aged children who experience malnutrition.
How does this Program Work?
The National School Lunch Program is provided at the federal level by USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. NSLP is administered at the state level through state agencies that run the program through agreements with school authorities. Schools are compensated in cash for each food served. Schools also receive USDA commodity food assistance for lunches. The NSLP must do one-third of daily calories, protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, and vitamin E through lunch foods to fight malnutrition. According to a USDA study in January 2012, the meals provided by the program score 77.2 on the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), which is significantly higher than the HEI score of 55.0 for the average American child’s diet.
The aid of this program lessens the chances of children getting malnourished. Also, it helped families with low incomes who cannot give proper nutrition to their children every day.
ALSO READ: Food Security Equity Impact Fund: What is it?
