Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
School lunch… You aren’t alone if that phrase gives you flashbacks of mushy mac and cheese and cold chicken nuggets.
To be fair, school lunches have become healthier over the years. There are requirements for having whole grains, protein, and fruits and veggies in students’ lunch dishes. However, while the healthy options are there, unfortunately, the kids don’t want to touch them.
This is because the options for healthy foods are less than tempting in the average cafeteria. Canned green beans, whole-grain breadsticks, and peaches doused in sugary syrup… can you blame the kids?
Well, nutrition programs recognize this problem, and as a result, schools are starting to get a bit more creative with healthy options. This is where the food trucks come in.
To learn about how food trucks are boosting the nutritional value of school lunches, keep reading!
Food Trucks Are Trendy
Older kids often try to go off campus to eat lunch because that’s the “cool” thing to do.
Because of this, students who are allowed to leave campus for lunch will often grab unhealthy fast foods that are tasty and convenient. Well, food trucks are changing this! Food trucks are offering food on campus that’s healthy, trendy, and easily accessible.
Since food trucks are becoming more and more popular, high school students are more motivated to eat their lunches at school. School nutrition trucks are serving healthy foods that actually appeal to younger people.
From burrito bowls to carnitas made with brown rice, food trucks are spot on with healthy food that appeals to teenagers. Food trucks also allow students to get outside and have the capacity to play music from onboard stereo systems, so the food truck is an entire experience outside of just the food itself.
On top of serving school lunches, food trucks can also set up at school events, like festivals and sports games. As a tempting alternative to the traditional concession stand, this can be a great way for schools to make money for their nutrition programs, which are often limited by funding.
Nutrition Programs Meet Affordability
Kids often struggle to eat healthy because of a lack of money to do so.
Many schools aren’t offering healthy meals, and because of this, kids living in poverty aren’t eating a healthy lunch. Food trucks can help combat this problem, too. A great way for school nutrition food trucks to provide greater access to fresh, healthy foods is through partnering with a local grocery store or a corporate grocery sponsor.
In another inspiring win for the food truck community, school districts around the country are starting to use food trucks to feed kids from low-income families during times when they don’t have access to their usual school lunch. These trucks set up around their communities in the summertime and during school breaks to make sure kids from all backgrounds have reliable access to a healthy lunch.
Food Trucks Are Changing the School Lunch Game
The days where soggy hamburger patties and sugary fruit cups were the standard for school lunches seem to be coming to an end.
Nutrition programs in schools are coming up with innovative and healthy ideas to make lunchtime more appealing in schools. And food trucks are getting that ball rolling!
If you’re looking to add a food truck option for your school district, contact us for a quote and we can help you figure out the best options for your community.