Marion County Public School cafeterias have already served over 1,000,000 school lunches and nearly 2,000,000 meals in total since the beginning of the school year.
The information was released recently in recognition of this year’s National Lunch Week, which runs from October 11 through October 15.
According to a press release, the National School Lunch Program serves nearly 27,000 children locally.
So far this school year, 1,717,342 meals, including 1,043,616 lunches, have been served by local cafeteria workers.
This year’s National Lunch Week theme is “Wild About School Lunch!” and focuses on the importance of a healthy school lunch in a student’s life.
Menu items include favorites such as boneless wings, chicken teriyaki bowls, and Big Daddy’s pizza.
The annual campaign highlights the nutritious foods that are available on a daily basis in Marion County Public Schools’ cafeterias. Students that participate in the lunch program will have opportunities to win prizes throughout the week, including gift cards.
According to the release, National School Lunch Week helps school districts educate parents and students about the positive benefits of the lunch program.
School lunches offer fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and milk that meet federal nutrition standards for limiting fat, calories, and sodium, according to the release.
The “Wild About School Lunch” campaign is made possible by School Nutrition Association, a non-profit organization.
For more information, parents and students can visit Marion County Public Schools’ Food and Nutrition Services website.