5 Interesting Facts About School Meals

Are you wondering whether school meals are a smart choice this school year? Below are 5 things you may not know about your school’s nutrition program to help you decide.


  1. School nutrition professionals are required to be trained on food safety, and school nutrition programs are required to be inspected, just like your favorite restaurants.
    • Georgia schools have the highest Food Service Health Inspection scores.
    • Every school kitchen in Georgia has qualified, certified ServSafe staff members.
  2. When schools closed in March 2020, the cafeterias did not.
    • School nutrition staff have already practiced and adapted to new COVID-19 guidelines.
    • From the time schools closed in March, through the end of the school year, Georgia school nutrition professionals provided nearly 30 million meals.
  3. Schools nutrition programs support local farmers by serving Georgia-grown produce.
  4. School meals benefit students, parents and school staff.
    • Breakfast and lunch programs are stronger when more people participate.
    • We could all use a break from planning and packing lunch, washing out containers, and tracking down missing ice packs.
    • Breakfast at school means one less thing to worry about in your busy morning.
  5. School cafeterias serve smart foods that help build strong bodies and minds.
    • School meals are required to meet nutrition criteria based on national health guidelines.
    • School nutrition professionals provide food-based learning resources to the school community.

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