New Report on School Kitchen Equipment and Infrastructure

Source: Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project

The Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project released a report demonstrating that schools are working to serve healthy and appealing meals, but many could do so more efficiently and effectively if they had upgraded equipment and infrastructure.  Serving Healthy School Meals: U.S. schools need updated kitchen equipment outlines districts’ infrastructure and equipment challenges, and provides recommendations to help find ways to meet schools’ needs. Below are the key findings: 

• Finding 1: The vast majority of school food authorities (88 percent) needed one or more pieces of equipment to help them meet the current lunch standards. Of those that reported having inadequate equipment, more than 85 percent are “making do” with a less-efficient process or workaround.
• Finding 2: Only 42 percent of school food authorities reported having a budget to purchase capital equipment, and less than half expected the budget to be adequate to meet their equipment needs.
• Finding 3: More than half of all school food authorities (55 percent) need kitchen infrastructure changes at one or more schools to meet the lunch requirements.

The Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project releasing a number of materials, along with the report to help define the role that kitchen equipment and infrastructure play in a school’s ability to serve healthy meals. Learn more at the Kids' Safe and Healthful Foods Project website.