An Open Letter To Food Service Directors Regarding Healthy Food Options

Dear Food Service Directors,

My name is Kate Willsey and I am a student at the University of Southern California. After beginning the Food Justice course here at USC, I started to analyze my own experiences with food, especially growing up in a public school district. I always brought a packed lunch from home to school, which I now understand is a privilege. I did not have to eat the school lunches that often were many students’ only option, usually decided upon by the student nutrition department. Looking back, I remember friends eating pizza, fried chicken sandwiches, and greasy cookies. The healthier options were pre-packaged salads, granola bars, and sugar-filled smoothies.

In my food justice course, I learn a lot about nutrition and food insecurity amongst marginalized groups. We explored issues such as food deserts in LA and different school lunch programs. I have always been passionate about nutrition and well-being so taking this class further deepened my interest. I learned that we as a society are severely ignoring children’s health by not addressing these issues of food injustice, but also by not implementing better food options at school. As decision makers for the food options offered in schools, the food services department should leverage their power to prioritize children’s health by way of nutrition.

There are serious health issues like diabetes and obesity that are affecting children today at rates much higher than before. As of 2020, the CDC reported that obesity affected nearly 15 million children and adolescents in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2022). I know there have been efforts to combat this issue and initiate better eating habits among the younger generations, one of the most notable being The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. Michelle Obama successfully spearheaded this legislation, which called for school lunches across the nation to have less fat and calories (Office of the Press Secretary 2023). However, there needs to be even more drastic changes to ensure a healthier future for children. This act was passed in 2010 and when I was in high school in 2016, those greasy food items were still the top choice for students.

I understand that implementing change in the food services department can be difficult because of multiple limitations from external factors like the government. Moreover, there are limitations such as kitchen functionality and cost. I know many students may not actually choose to eat a healthier school lunch and find ways to keep eating unhealthy foods, taking the responsibility out of school professionals’ hands. However, there is still an extent of power that you hold as members of the food services department that can enact small changes in schools. For instance, you can try to get rid of vending machines or further reduce the amount of options with little nutritional benefit.

Oftentimes, children may not have the necessary resources to decide what food is available to them when growing up. At a place where they go to learn academic subjects, they should also learn important life habits such as fueling their bodies with nutritional foods instead of junk food. As leaders of food services, you can promote a healthier food relationship for students by educating students on nutritional health.

I hope you will consider this letter to research other viable suggestions that may improve the future of children’s health and take responsibility as decision makers in the school system.

Sincerely,

Kate Willsey