Dairy Council of California aims to keep healthy eating on kids’ menus this summer
The organization is helping communities with summer meal activities and promotional resources.
When schools close for summer break, the door on good nutrition might also shut for the 2 million California children who rely on free and reduced meals at school but miss out on USDA's Summer Food Service Program. Missing out on healthy meals and milk over the summer months could negatively impact children's health and put them at an academic disadvantage come fall, noted the Dairy Council of California. Summer breakfasts and lunches provide food from all five food groups for all kids and teens 18 and under.
In Sacramento and San Bernardino counties, the council has worked in community partnerships, called summer meals collaboratives, focused on increasing summer meal locations and participation. Sites that provide engagement activities such as STEM or literacy programs tend to have higher participation throughout the summer months. Thanks to widespread community outreach led by local schools and activity-based programs such as Lunch at the Library, meal participation during summer 2017 increased 15% in Sacramento County and more than doubled in San Bernardino County, the Dairy Council of California said.