What’s for Lunch? Assessing the political discourse around school nutrition standards in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was established in 1946 with the aim of ensuring that all children in the US have access to nutritious meals at school. The program has evolved through changes made based on the needs of children and stakeholder input. One of the most significant changes has been the implementation of strict nutrition standards that schools must follow in order to receive reimbursements, through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) in 2010. These standards, which require schools to serve fruits and vegetables and limited levels of fats and sodium, are intended to promote healthy eating habits and prevent diet-related health conditions. However, dietary advice is tightly intertwined with politics in the US. Many scholars critically examine dietary reform and how it imposes standards of what counts as “good food” and a “good life”. This essay discusses the political history of dietary standards and the NSLP, with a focus on the nutrition standards introduced since the passing of the HHFKA. The paper analyzes the discourse around nutrition standards in congressional records and USDA documents tied to the HHFKA to understand the numerous political, cultural, and moral implications of nutrition standards beyond the intended health impacts.