Largest School Districts Celebrate National Nutrition Month and Urban School Food Alliance Day

- Districts to Serve Same Lunch to 3.6 Million Students Across the U.S. on March 31 -

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Mar 02, 2020, 09:00 ET

NEW YORK, March 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Urban School Food Alliance (the Alliance), a coalition of the largest urban school districts in the United States serving 3.6 million students daily, will celebrate National Nutrition Month and the importance of healthy eating with a variety of activities in March.

"Providing healthy, appealing food in school cafeterias across this country is at the core of the Urban School Food Alliance and we want to celebrate the difference it makes in the lives of the young people we serve," said Dr. Katie Wilson, executive director of the Alliance. "Studies show that when students have access to nutritious meals, they excel in school."

Throughout National Nutrition Month, Alliance districts will highlight seasonal ingredients during breakfast and lunch, and feature new healthy and delicious menu items.

National School Breakfast Week, from March 2-6, is included during National Nutrition Month to highlight the importance of school breakfast. The group will adopt the School Nutrition Association theme of "School Breakfast: Out of this World." Food service directors will serve breakfast items with whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

To cap off the festivities, on March 31, Alliance districts will celebrate Urban School Food Alliance Day by serving the same freshly prepared meal in cafeterias across the country. The menu will consist of roasted chicken, roasted vegetables, macaroni and cheese, fresh seasonal salads and fruits, warm dinner roll and low-fat milk.

"Serving the same lunch menu on Urban School Food Alliance Day is a chance for all of our 12 districts to show our solidarity when it comes to serving healthy meals," said Michael Rosenberger, chairman of the Alliance and executive director of Food and Child Nutrition Services at Dallas Independent School District. "We provide every child, high-quality, fresh and healthy meals, not only on Urban School Food Alliance Day, but every school day."

Nutrition celebrations have helped raise awareness for healthy meals served in school cafeterias, and the abundant access to local fresh fruits and vegetables to students. The 12 Alliance districts [New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Miami-Dade, Orange County (Orlando), Broward County (Fort Lauderdale), Palm Beach County, School District of Philadelphia, Baltimore City, Boston and DeKalb County (Greater Atlanta Area)] serve more than 635 million meals every school year with an annual combined budget of $800 million in food and supplies.