Gwinnett County Schools Celebrate National School Lunch Week

Packing or buying school lunch is a daily debate for many families. Gwinnett County Schools is hoping to educate parents about healthy school choices and encourage them to take advantage of convenient and well-balanced school lunches as part of National School Lunch Week celebrations, October 15-19, 2018.

The National School Lunch Week (NSLW) theme, "School Lunch - Lots 2 Love," reminds school communities and parents about the many nutritious choices and continued improvements to school lunch menus. Gwinnett County Schools take their school nutrition program seriously, serving 20.9 million lunches in the 2017/18 school year. Café Gwinnett serves on average 15 million servings of local produce and 2.4 million servings of Georgia Grown produce in their school meals, making eating local a priority in their cafeterias. Over half of the 132 schools in Gwinnett County Schools have a robust Edible School Garden program, allowing students the chance to learn about plants, gardening and then enjoy the fruits of their labor within their own school meals. Mondays feature a homemade cookie/rice crispy treat or brownie across the district, made in house by the school food service team.

Gwinnett School menus feature creative options, like Brunch 4 Lunch, vegetarian chicken nuggets, tangerine rice bowls, black bean burgers, lasagna Bolognese and more. High schools in the district have more options, catering to the teenager’s growing palate. Menu options include multiple pizza choices, club sandwich on ciabatta bread, fresh seasonal salads, chicken fajita nachos, sunflower veggie patty sandwich, fresh deli subs, fruit and yogurt parfaits and more.

“We are confident that our menus reflect student taste levels, while adhering strictly to federal school nutrition guidelines,” explains Gwinnett County School’s Karen Hallford, MS, RD, LD, Director of School Nutrition Program. “Gwinnett County Schools take into account what students like in restaurants and other outside establishments and try to offer a healthy alternative in our school meal options.”

Students will be encouraged to show their love for school lunch from October 15-19 with specially planned menus, decorations, cafeteria events and more.

“It is so important that we celebrate the fantastic initiatives that are making our school lunches healthier, more accessible and more appealing to students across the state,” said Georgia School Nutrition Association President Nicole James. “National School Lunch Week helps us educate parents and students about all the healthy and appealing choices Georgia schools offer in our cafeterias to support students with a well-balanced school lunch.”

President John F. Kennedy created National School Lunch Week (NSLW) in 1962. During this annual weeklong celebration, SNA members and students around the country celebrate what makes their local school lunch program special. Parents and students can follow the fun on Facebook.com/TrayTalk or TrayTalk.org

For more information about schools meals, visit Georgia School Nutrition Association or National School Lunch Week 2018.

About the Georgia School Nutrition Association

The Georgia School Nutrition Association (GSNA) is a non-profit professional organization representing more than 6,000 members who provide high-quality, low-cost meals to students across the state. Founded in 1951, GSNA is devoted exclusively to protecting and enhancing children’s health and well-being through school meals and sound nutrition education.