Schools taking part in National Lunch Week

Russellville City Schools are hosting “School Lunch – What’s on Your Tray?” an interactive campaign that can inspire every type of student to get excited about healthy school lunch choices.

The campaign culminates during National School Lunch Week, Oct. 11-15.  

Russellville Elementary School will have activity sheets for students each day during the week to help promote National School Lunch Week. Each grade has been designated a character personality such as strong, chilled or creative and will make posters showing how the character will look after making healthy food choices.

Guests will be invited to eat with students all during the week.

By visiting www.WhatsOnYourTray.org, students can take a personality quiz to reveal which of the site’s cool cartoon characters fit their personality the best. Whether they score as a social star, busy bee, sports fanatic or just totally chilled-out, students can learn what foods are best to fuel them up, keep them healthy and get the most out of their action-packed school days.

Each character comes paired with healthy eating tips.  

“School Lunch – What’s on Your Tray?” is being featured in school cafeterias nationwide this fall to emphasize all the components of well-balanced school meals. The campaign is sponsored by the non-profit School Nutrition Association and the Milk Processors Education Program.

Serving more than 31 million children every school day, the federally funded National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides nutritionally balanced low-cost and free meals to students. The program, which has been serving the nation’s children for over 60 years, requires school meals to meet federal nutrition standards.

Meals are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, meaning they contain no more than 30 percent of calories from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. 

School lunches include fruits and vegetables, grains and proteins as well as milk, and they must provide one-third of the recommended dietary allowances of protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and calories.

Meals are served in age-appropriate serving sizes meaning you get the amount of food that your body needs.

West Elementary and Russellville Elementary students have been able to participate in the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program this year. Students are able to have either a fresh fruit or fresh vegetable for their snack four days a week.

After school snacks are provided for students in the Afterschool Programs in the school system.  During the summer months the Russellville City Schools have a Seamless Summer Feeding Program that allows any child up to 18 years of age to eat breakfast and lunch in the school free of charge.

For more information about healthy school meals, visit www.TrayTalk.org.