School Lunch Reform

Our vision has always been to mirror the lessons of the kitchen and garden classroom in the lunchroom. In 2004, the Chez Panisse Foundation partnered with Berkeley Unified School District to design a model for this vision. With the support of the district, we set about to change what all 10,000 Berkeley public school children eat for lunch in school, and how they learn about food, every day. 

After three years of on-the-ground work in Berkeley, we have transformed the school meal program. The new Dining Commons at King Middle School now serves as the central kitchen for all 16 schools in the district, providing 8,000 meals per day, made from scratch, with wholesome, fresh, and seasonal ingredients. Read about our accomplishments and lessons learned. 

Impact

In October 2005, the Chez Panisse Foundation provided a grant to the Berkeley Unified School District to hire Ann Cooper, a chef and former Kellogg Food and Society Fellow, as the Director of Nutrition Services for the district. Through Cooper's persistence, we eliminated nearly all processed foods in the district and introduced fresh and organic foods to the daily menu, while remaining within the district's food service budget. Read our whitepaper, Lunch Matters.

Through support from the Chez Panisse Foundation and Rodale Publishing, the Center for Weight and Health at the University of California, Berkeley is conducting a three-year study to evaluate the Initiative's impact on student attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors towards food. Read the Year One and Year Two Progress Reports of the School Lunch Initiative Evaluation.

Looking Ahead

Over the next few years, the Chez Panisse Foundation will develop a suite of tools to help districts across the country change their school meal programs. In addition to seeding model programs, these tools will be used to inform policy discussion at the local, state, and national level. Learn how you can help.