Texas Observes National School Lunch Week

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced the start of National School Lunch Week 2020, which takes place Oct. 12 to 16. National School Lunch Week recognizes the role of school nutrition in healthy lifestyles despite challenges brought on by COVID-19. The Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) theme Blast Off with a Healthy School Lunch provided school nutrition teams with easy-to-use resources they can combine with their meal-service operations. Schools placed orders for more than 1 million educational pieces including social distancing floor decals, display-sized participation charts, buttons, stickers, and other resources promoting good nutrition and the hard work of school nutrition teams.

“COVID-19 proved its challenges in providing any kind of meal in the school cafeteria,” Commissioner Miller said. “This lousy virus might’ve thrown up a roadblock or two, but it hasn’t slowed us down. I applaud the devoted school nutrition heroes who have stepped up to the plate. Texas children need a healthy lunch now more than ever and these folks have shown unwavering dedication to see it happens.”

Every year, National School Lunch Week coincides with October’s Farm to School Month. Commissioner Miller encourages schools to use Farm to School to highlight Texas agriculture and local foods in lieu of participating in TDA’s Farm Fresh Challenge, which was postponed due to COVID-19. For Farm to School Month, TDA provided schools with buttons for staff and stickers for kids. Special National School Lunch Week menus developed by TDA also feature recipes using Texas agricultural products. These efforts support Commissioner Miller’s Farm Fresh Initiative and help Texas students associate healthy school meals with Texas agriculture.

Supporting National School Lunch Week and Farm to School Month engages students in learning about healthy lifestyles and Texas agriculture. It also encourages all students to try a school lunch whether they are learning in the classroom or from home. TDA is committed to these efforts and ensuring our future leaders of Texas understand that eating healthy meals and learning about good nutrition can be fun and exciting.