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The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is the Nation's
second largest food and nutrition assistance program.
In 2010, it operated in over 101,000 public and nonprofit
private schools (grades K-12) and residential child care institutions. The NSLP provided low-cost or
free lunches to over 31.6 million children daily at a cost of $10.5 billion.
Any student in a participating school can get an NSLP
lunch regardless of the student's household income. Eligible
students can receive free or reduced-price lunches:
- Free lunches are available to children in households
with incomes at or below 130 percent of poverty
- Reduced-price lunches are available to children in
households with incomes between 130 and 185 percent
of poverty.
In 2010, school cafeterias served more than 5 billion
lunches, more than half of them free or at a reduced price.
ERS-sponsored research found that children from food-insecure and marginally secure households were more likely to eat school meals and received more of their food and nutrient intake from school meals than did other children.
USDA's
Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers the NSLP
and reimburses participating schools' foodservice departments
for the meals served to students. Meals are required to meet nutrition standards; as part of changes required by Congressional reauthorization of the program in 2010, NSLP nutrition standards are being updated to more closely match the Federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
ERS researchers have examined important
issues, background, and trends in the NSLP and found
that the program faces numerous challenges. Program administrators
strive to balance competing objectives:
- Meals must meet
nutritional standards and stay within budgetary constraints,
but at the same time, meals must be appealing so that
children will actually eat what is served. ERS is conducting and sponsoring behavioral economics research to identify strategies to encourage children's acceptance of these healther meals.
- Calories must be adequate to meet nutritional needs, but
school meals should not add to the problem of rising childhood
obesity. An ERS sponsored study found that NSLP participants had lower intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages than did similar nonparticipants. NSLP participation did not affect the likelihood of being overweight.
Recommended readings—Publications
related to National School Lunch Program topics.
 Meals
served in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast
Programs, fiscal 1969-2010
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