According to the American Psychological Association, “A hungry child between the age of 6 and 12 is more likely to receive special education services, repeat a grade in school or receive mental health counseling, than a child who is not hungry.” Studies show that food quality has an impact on children’s learning and mental growth.

In recent decades there have been significant improvements in the quality of school food, but the need for more progress is evident - both for the general physical health of young people and the effects it has on learning. But despite the city’s efforts, such as providing free breakfast for students and placing restrictions on snacks sold in school vending machines, childhood obesity continues to pose a major challenge. The city’s Department of Education is in charge of the largest school food service program in the country, serving over 177 million meals per year.

In New York City, nearly half of elementary school children are overweight.

She concludes with a sweeping vision for change: fresh, healthy food for all children as a regular part of their school day.The first day of school (photo: Michael Appleton/Mayor's Office) How well are they reaching students who need them? Opening a window onto our culture as a whole, Poppendieck reveals the forces-the financial troubles of schools, the commercialization of childhood, the reliance on market models-that are determining how lunch is served. What is the nutritional profile of the federal meals?

How did we get into the absurd situation in which nutritionally regulated meals compete with fast food items and snack foods loaded with sugar, salt, and fat? Janet Poppendieck explores the deep politics of food provision from multiple perspectives-history, policy, nutrition, environmental sustainability, taste, and more. Taking us on an eye-opening journey into the nation's school kitchens, this superbly researched book is the first to provide a comprehensive assessment of school food in the United States. How did our children end up eating nachos, pizza, and Tater Tots for lunch?

Free for All by Janet Poppendieck