National School Breakfast & Lunch Programs

The National School Lunch Program was adopted by Congress in 1946 as a belief that it is a measure of national security to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children. The objective of the program is to provide nutritionally sound meals at an affordable price. In conjunction with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Department of Defense (DOD) remains active to this day in School Meal Programs, distributing fresh fruits and vegetables. The USDA and DOD use federal dollars to purchase commodity foods to bolster agricultural prices, relieve the market of surplus foods and offer economic aid to child nutrition programs.

The National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs at Houghton-Portage Township Schools promote the health and well-being of all participating children. The principle goal is to promote nutritious meals implementing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The program is designed to provide one-third of the student's recommended daily allowance of nutrients. Each -Type A- meal has four components: meat/meat alternate foods, fruit and vegetables, bread/bread equivalent foods and fluid milk as a beverage. Free and reduced priced lunches are available to those students from families meeting specific income criteria.