COMMISSIONER MILLER ANNOUNCES START OF 2022 NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH WEEK (10/6/2022)

TDA and Texas schools set to promote healthy lifestyles and nutritious school meals

AUSTIN – Today Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller kicked off National School Lunch Week, a celebration of hard-working nutrition teams and the healthy meals served in schools. During the week of Oct. 10-14, schools across Texas will offer special menus and use Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) resources to promote participation in the National School Lunch Program. TDA administers the program in Texas to provide more than 3 million lunches every school day.

“Supporting school nutrition is the first step in keeping Texas children healthy,” Commissioner Miller said. “I want every student to go to the cafeteria during National School Lunch Week and get a good meal with the nutrition they need for a full and productive day. Using this year’s theme, Get Your Day in Gear with a Healthy School Lunch, schools are making sure more students can shift into overdrive in the classroom and in life.”

TDA offers schools promotional materials they can use to get students engaged in learning about what nutritious foods are offered in their cafeteria during National School Lunch Week. This year, schools ordered 7,000 posters, 30,000 employee buttons, and 600,000 Enjoy Your Meal stickers from TDA. Also, morning announcements; special menus with attached recipes; electronic advertisements; and more are available for downloading at SquareMeals.org/NSLW.    

Many schools have added TDA’s Farm Fresh Challenge to their efforts to increase student participation in the National School Lunch Program. Throughout October about 150 school districts and charter organizations will give millions of children the opportunity to learn about Texas agriculture by incorporating more Texas products into menus. Special menus curated by TDA support National School Lunch Week and the Farm Fresh Challenge with recipes using Texas agricultural products. These efforts are part of Commissioner Miller’s Farm Fresh Initiative and help Texas students associate healthy school meals with Texas agriculture.

TDA support for these efforts shows the cafeteria can become a classroom when young Texans eat fresh fruits and vegetables grown in Texas at school and learn about how Texas agriculture makes these meals possible. During National School Lunch Week TDA encourages everyone to recognize the role school nutrition plays in promoting healthy lifestyles for Texas children.

To learn more about National School Lunch Week and TDA’s other healthy living initiatives, visit

SquareMeals.org/NSLW.

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