Office of Public Instruction to Honor the School Lunch Heroes Serving Healthy Meals

• Brian O'Leary
• May 02 2022

Celebrating School Lunch Hero Day on May 6, 2022

Helena, Montana – Superintendent Elsie Arntzen encourages all parents, students, school staff, and communities to thank those who serve healthy school meals throughout our Montana communities. Friday, May 6 is the tenth School Lunch Hero Day, which celebrates our school nutrition professionals.  In 2021 alone, these lunch heroes served a total of 19,185,197 meals to school-aged children!

Throughout the state, school nutrition professionals will be honored and recognized by their communities in a variety of ways. Celebrations may include recognition through an assembly or social media campaign (#schoollunchhero), student-made art and thank you notes, or passage of an annual proclamation to celebrate each year!

“In Montana, this is ‘Hug a Lunch Hero Day,’” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “Our school lunchrooms are where friends gather around the table. I encourage everyone to thank our lunch heroes as they serve our students.”

“School lunch heroes provide our kids with healthy, nutritious meals to fuel them throughout the day,” Governor Greg Gianforte said. “This week, we recognize them and their important role in the lives of Montana students.”

The importance and nutritional value of school meals are well documented. For many children, school lunch is the most important and nutrient-rich meal of their day. One of Montana’s favorite school lunches is chili made with Montana beef and beans or lentils, served with a cinnamon roll, green salad, fruit, and milk. Schools across the state are working hard to serve meals that include locally produced foods and give students a wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables. For example, Montana Marinara sauce is a new Montana lunch item made from diced tomatoes (USDA Foods) and Montana garlic, onions, carrots, and squash. This tasty sauce is served over pasta, with meatballs, or for dipping with garlic breadsticks.

Get more information and free resources to help you celebrate School Lunch Hero Day visit:  www.schoollunchheroday.com.

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) is a national, non-profit professional organization representing more than 55,000 school nutrition professionals across the country. Founded in 1946, SNA and its members are dedicated to making healthy school meals and nutrition education available to all students. To find out more about today’s school meals, visit www.schoolnutrition.org/SchoolMeals.

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