What you can do

Bringing meaningful changes to Baltimore County school lunches is an effort that will take many people working together over a long period of time. But there are things you can do right now that could make significant improvements at your child's school.

Pay attention to the snack policy. 
• Find out if there is a limit to the number of snacks a child may buy; this varies from school to school and is a great thing to discuss with your school’s principal. Click here to read a Q-and-A with a principal who successfully implemented a "one snack" policy at her Baltimore County school -- use it as a blueprint or discussion starter at your school!

Go to the cafeteria.
• Volunteer at your child's cafeteria to see what is being served. Do the kids buy the fruits and vegetables? What foods do you see unopened at the end of the lunch? What foods do the kids seem to buy the most?

Talk to Administrators:
• Talk to your principal about food policy and about how you can work together to encourage kids to eat more fruits and vegetables.

• See if the principal would support policies offering fewer and smaller portions of treats. Perhaps birthdays could be celebrated once a month instead of every time there is a birthday, and parents would be encouraged to share pencils, stickers or other non-food items instead of, for instance, cupcakes. Discuss a school-wide policy in which food and candy would no longer be used by teachers as rewards for students. This is already the case at some BCPS schools. Some teachers encourage kids to celebrate their birthday by buying a book or toy for the class to share.
 (Click here to see how this is working at Rodgers Forge Elementary!)

Take Control:
• Put money in your child’s lunch account that can only go toward a full meal and cannot be applied toward snacks (that is, do not put money in the “cash account”). Many parents are surprised to learn that their kids are not using the funds in their accounts to buy entrees but are instead filling their trays with a la carte chips and ice cream. You can also tell the cafeteria manager that your child is not allowed to buy a la carte snacks.

• Talk to your PTA and teachers about this policy, so that more parents have the opportunity to use the tools available to help control what their children buy at lunch.

• Join or start a wellness committee at your school. The committee can plan fun activities and contests that will teach students how to make smart food choices.

• Model good nutrition at home. Try new fruits and vegetables in your meals. Visit a farmer’s market to explore new options for your menus and talk to your children about where food comes from and how it works for or against their bodies and minds. Then help your kids translate this knowledge into healthier choices when they are in the lunch line at school. 


• Ask your PTA's leaders to join the Healthy Kids Coalition and work toward our goal of healthier lunches. Volunteer to be the Healthy Kids Coalition representative – we welcome your support!