Over 60% of what children eat is ultraprocessed food. If that statistic seems abstract, consider what it means in context: chicken nuggets filled with fillers like soy and gums designed to maintain shape after being frozen for ages. A “crispy chicken salad” is often just an ultraprocessed chicken patty dumped onto greens with dressing containing lengthy, unrecognizable ingredients. Bread products loaded with emulsifiers to keep them soft for months. Fruit yogurt that has more sugar than soda.
These aren’t meals; they are engineered food products designed for shelf stability rather than nutritional value—and kids are getting up to half their daily calories from school meals.
This isn’t solely a home-cooking issue
The discussion surrounding ultraprocessed foods can weigh heavily on parents, urging them to read labels, cook more, and pack lunches. However, with nearly 30 million kids eating school meals five days a week, a significant portion of what they consume is largely beyond our control.
So why is school food in this state? It’s not due to a lack of care from food service professionals; rather, it stems from a system that is structured this way.
“School food professionals truly care about the kids they serve, and most strive to provide the best meals possible,” explains Lori Nelson, Chief School Food Operations Officer at the Chef Ann Foundation and an experienced school food director. “They are not opponents—they are navigating a broken school food system where initiating change is both intimidating and complex.”
Statistics back this up. Federal reimbursement for a school lunch amounts to just $4.60, which must cover food costs, labor, equipment upkeep, utilities, and administrative overhead. Most school kitchens are designed for reheating rather than cooking. Staff often face low wages and inadequate training. Thus, the system defaults to prepackaged, heat-and-serve meals—not by choice, but due to what the infrastructure supports.
Scratch cooking offers a viable solution—and it’s already delivering results
Nelson envisions a continuum for transforming school food. At one end are completely prepackaged meals. At the other are scratch-made meals using whole, raw ingredients. Many districts find themselves in the middle, utilizing ready-made products while neglecting fresh additions and culinary techniques.
However, districts committed to progress along this continuum are observing tangible benefits. For example, in Tompkins County, New York, the Dryden Central School District shifted from individually wrapped breakfast items to scratch-made French toast casserole. They replaced pre-made macaroni and cheese with a fresher version featuring homemade cheese sauce and freshly cooked pasta. They also began making baked ziti from scratch, using locally sourced beef. By the end of the 2024–25 school year, daily participation increased by 21.8% for breakfast and 39.1% for lunch.
When nutritious food actually tastes good, kids are more likely to eat it. Increased consumption leads to greater participation, which in turn boosts reimbursement revenue, allowing for more scratch cooking.
And just to illustrate what can be achieved with $4.60: during her tenure as a school food director in Texas, Nelson served Pork Tacos Al Pastor—commodity pork shoulder slow-roasted overnight and finished with a homemade marinade of achiote, fresh pineapple, cilantro, onion, and garlic, served in locally sourced tortillas accompanied by house-made lime-cilantro slaw, scratch-made black beans, fresh fruit, and local milk.
I’ll admit it moved me to hear this, even though I don’t eat pork. It’s a meal crafted with intention and consideration for the kids involved—and every child deserves that kind of respect.
Essential actions and how you can play a role
Nelson maintains a pragmatic view of the federal policy landscape. On one hand, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans have, for the first time, begun to recommend reducing highly processed foods—a noteworthy benchmark. On the flip side, over $1 billion in local food funding has been cut, and significant farm-to-school funding was also eliminated last year, posing challenges for schools trying to procure fresh, whole ingredients.
While banning food dyes and defining “ultraprocessed food” are positive steps, Nelson cautions that they don’t address the underlying issues. “Without tackling outdated school kitchens, the prevalence of undertrained and underpaid staff, and the low reimbursement rates for meals, we risk remaining trapped in a cycle where this or that unpronounceable additive is banned only to be replaced with something similarly problematic,” she states. “When schools utilize whole ingredients, they have greater transparency about their meals.”
So what practical steps can parents take?
Start by connecting with the individuals responsible for your child’s meals. Most districts have a food service or child nutrition director—this person’s name is typically listed on your district’s website under food services or nutrition department. Send them an email introducing yourself, and request a brief meeting or an opportunity to tour the kitchen. Inquire about their objectives, what initiatives they’ve implemented, and any challenges they face. If your school has a wellness committee (many are mandated by federal law), consider joining or attending a meeting. These gatherings are often where food-related decisions are made, and parental input is valued. Your school’s PTA can also be a valuable avenue for engagement.
View your school food director as a knowledgeable ally—not a barrier. As Nelson points out, successful advocacy hinges on collaboration rather than confrontation. Parents demanding change often encounter defensiveness, while those asking “what do you need?” and “how can I assist you?” foster an environment conducive to real progress.
If you’re interested in being a more effective advocate for improved school food, consider joining a free live panel discussion on April 8 at 1 p.m. ET: “What Parents Need to Know to Improve School Food,” hosted by the Chef Ann Foundation and featuring Motherly CEO Lindsey Abramo, National PTA president-elect Dr. William Datema, Jenné Claiborne, CEO and founder of Sweet Potato Soul, and Lori Nelson. Register here.
