Oops! Did We Just Say That Out Loud?

Imagine going out to eat, opening the menu, and seeing only one entrée.

Just one. Take it or leave it.
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Most of us would find that ridiculous, because it is. Yet when it comes to lunch in schools, the model we’ve relied on for the last 80 years assumes that one option a day can satisfy everyone.  A pretty absurd assumption when you think about it.

For decades, countless organizations, initiatives, studies, and resources have been devoted to one goal: getting kids to eat their school lunch.

It's all been tried: healthier and fresh ingredients, nutrition education, cafeteria redesigns, farm-to-table programs, taste tests, student engagement campaigns, and countless other efforts aimed at improving school lunch service. All creative, thoughtful, commendable, and logical solutions.
 
And after all these years, we’re still having the same conversation, still looking for the next initiative, strategy, or solution.
 
And while all those efforts are important and valuable, they’re missing the most important piece of all.
 
No matter how nutritious, fresh, healthy, organic, locally sourced, or delicious a lunch may be, there's still only one lunch entree offered to satisfy everyone. 
 
Just one choice. And that is the problem.

The solution isn’t trying to make one option work for everyone. It’s offering menus with enough entrée choices each day to reflect the reality that people have different tastes, preferences, and comfort levels around food.