Food Engineering logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Food Engineering logo
  • NEWS
    • Latest Headlines
    • Manufacturing News
    • People & Industry News
    • Plant Openings
    • Recalls
    • Regulatory Watch
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Plant Products
    • New Retail Products
  • TOPICS
    • Alternative Protein
    • Automation
    • Cannabis
    • Cleaning | Sanitation
    • Fabulous Food Plants
    • Food Safety
    • Maintenance Strategies
    • OEE
    • Packaging
    • Sustainability
    • More
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • Plant Construction Survey
    • Plant of the Year
    • Sustainable Plant of the Year
    • State of Food Manufacturing
    • Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies
  • MEDIA
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
  • FOOD MASTER
  • EVENTS
    • Food Automation & Manufacturing Symposium and Expo
    • Industry Events
  • RESOURCES
    • eNewsletter
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • FE Store
    • Government Links
    • Industry Associations
    • Market Research
    • Classified Ads
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazine
    • Archive Issue
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Latest headlines

Report: Nine out of 10 Americans support healthy school meals

By Jeremy Gerrard
Food trends: US consumers crave portable nutrition bars
August 18, 2015

A national survey commissioned by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) reveals Americans strongly support current efforts to keep school meals healthy.

"Our survey found that people in the U.S. overwhelmingly support strong nutrition standards and believe school meals are healthier and on the right track because of these standards," said La June Montgomery Tabron, president and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. "Today, 67 percent of Americans say the nutritional quality of food served in public school cafeterias is excellent or good, which is up 41 percent from a national survey we conducted in 2010, before the standards were adopted."

Among the study’s key findings were 86 percent of Americans support current school nutrition standards and 88 percent support government-funded farm to school programs. Similarly, 86 percent said the nutrition requirements should be kept at the same level or strengthened.

The poll also surveyed views on farm to school programs, which bring food from local farms into school cafeterias and teach children about nutrition. Nearly 90 percent of those surveyed strongly support or somewhat support increasing government funding for farm to school programming.

"Kids eat what they know – and today more than 23 million students are learning about healthy food and local farms in the classroom and cafeteria through farm to school activities," said Anupama Joshi, executive director of the National Farm to School Network. "Farm to school not only has a significant impact on building a generation of healthy eaters, but also creates economic opportunities for farmers and support vibrant communities. It is so exciting to see the broad public support for this win-win approach."

According to the survey, nine out of 10 people the Dietary Guidelines for Americans should promote water as a preferred beverage choice. Even more – 91 percent – said ensuring kids have access to safe drinking water and encouraging them to consume more water is the number one or a high priority for improving the health and well-being of students.

"We're learning that kids' need for water is often overlooked or taken for granted," Tabron said. "It shouldn't be. Good hydration improves cognitive function, and recommending water as the beverage of choice can help in the fight against childhood obesity."

Additionally, 84 percent of those surveyed said they strongly or partly agree that sustainable agriculture should be part of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

 More on the survey can be found here. 

KEYWORDS: consumer trends food and beverage industry trends food and beverage manufacturing

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Jeremy gerrard 200px

Jeremy Gerrard was Food Engineering's Digital/Online Editor. He is a graduate of Auburn University with a degree in journalism. His previous work experience includes years spent as a reporter with the Daily Local News out of Chester County, PA. In addition to writing feature articles for Food Engineering, Jeremy covered the Dry Processing, Field Reports and People and Industry news sections.

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    Global Organic Food & Beverage Market to Grow

    With a CAGR of 12.07%, Bonafide Research estimates this...
    People & Industry News
  • skilled MEP worker

    Predicting Food and Beverage Manufacturing Trends for 2024

    The two words that should be kept in mind are labor and...
    Automation
    By: Derrick Teal
  • cleaning and sanitation

    The basics of cleaning and sanitation in food plants

    Sanitation maintains or restores a state of cleanliness...
    Food Safety
    By: Richard F. Stier
Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine
  • eNewsletter
  • Online Registration
  • Manage My Preferences
  • Customer Service

More Videos

Popular Stories

Conagra Logo

Conagra Brands to Sell Chef Boyardee Brand to Hometown Food Company

Chobani groundbreaking

Chobani to Build $1.2B Manufacturing Facility in New York

conveying and packaging operations

Planning Tips for Conveying Systems and Lines

CHECK OUT OUR NEW ESSENTIAL TOPICS

Alternative ProteinAutomationCleaning/SanitationFabulous Food Plants

Food SafetyMaintenance StrategiesOEE

PackagingSustainability

Events

June 17, 2025

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ State of the Cold Chain

Kelley Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of Refrigerated & Frozen Foods, will be joined in this 60-minute webinar by industry experts to help unpack the latest research.

January 1, 2030

Webinar Sponsorship Information

For webinar sponsorship information, visit www.bnpevents.com/webinars or email webinars@bnpmedia.com.

View All Submit An Event

Products

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

Recent Advances in Ready-to-Eat Food Technology

See More Products

Foodmaster.com

Related Articles

  • Majority of Americans report dietary restrictions

    Majority of Americans report dietary restrictions

    See More
  • Pediatricians say pregnant women and children should not drink raw milk

    IDFA, NMPF support School Milk Nutrition Act

    See More
  • California school district becomes first to serve 100 percent organic, non-GMO meals

    California school district becomes first to serve 100 percent organic, non-GMO meals

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • Functionalized_Carbohydrate.gif

    Functionalizing Carbohydrates for Food Applications

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in food engineering with unparalleled insights and connections.

Get the latest industry updates tailored your way.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Food Master
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing