Free for all : fixing school food in America / Janet Poppendieck.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 333-342) and index.

In search of school food -- School food 101 -- Food fights: a brief history -- Penny wise, pound foolish: what's driving the menu? -- How nutritious are school meals? -- The missing millions: problems of participation -- Hunger in the classroom: problems of access -- Free, reduced price, paid: unintended consequences -- Local heroes: fixing school food at the community level -- School food at the crossroads.

As this book takes us on an eye-opening journey into the nation's school kitchens, the author offers an assessment of school food in the United States. She reveals the forces that determine how lunch is served, such as the financial troubles of schools, the commercialization of childhood, and the reliance on market models. The author explores the deep politics of food provision from multiple perspectives including history, policy, nutrition, environmental sustainability, taste, and more. How did our children end up eating nachos, pizza, and Tater Tots for lunch? How did we get into the absurd situation in which nutritionally regulated meals compete with fast food items and snack foods loaded with sugar, salt, and fat? What is the nutritional profile of the federal meals? How well are they reaching students who need them? Opening a window onto our culture as a whole, she concludes with a vision for change: fresh, healthy food for all children as a regular part of their school day.