Urge USDA and Congress to Minimize Highly Processed Proteins in School Meals
Shared by Friends of the Earth in September 2026:I’m excited to share a new report from Friends of the Earth and Chef Ann Foundation: Beyond the Nugget: The Hidden Health Risks of Industrially Produced Animal Proteins—and the Path Toward Better School Lunches.
The report analyzes more than 10,000 lunch entrées from 45 public school districts across the country and finds that industrially produced animal proteins dominate school lunch menus, with carcinogenic red and processed meats widespread and plant-based proteins rarely offered. It also examines health concerns associated with commonly served products that go beyond the nutrition label—from ingredients of concern to potential contaminants associated with industrial animal agriculture like veterinary drug, dioxin, and pesticide residues.
Importantly, the report makes clear that school nutrition professionals are not to blame. Federal funding, procurement systems, and other policies help create a system in which industrially produced, processed meat and cheese have become default entree options. The report lays out a roadmap for changing that system by investing in scratch cooking and higher-quality ingredients, farm to school procurement, strengthening nutrition standards and diversifying proteins, and reforming USDA commodity procurement, including by adopting a USDA Entitlement Local Food Purchase Option, a campaign spearheaded by several NFSN partners.
We’re also releasing a companion resource, Building a Better Tray, highlighting school districts across the country that are already putting healthier school meals into practice through scratch cooking, more diverse protein options, and improved ingredient sourcing.
We’d love your help amplifying the report and its recommendations:
- Read and share the report
- Sign on to our letters to Congress and USDA calling for policy changes that echo the report’s recommendations (Deadline: Oct 2)
- Join our webinar on Wednesday, September 30 at 3pm ET, where we’ll discuss the findings and what they mean for the future of school meals
- Help spread the word using our social media toolkit, which includes sample posts and graphics
Please feel free to reach out with any questions, and thank you for your partnership!
Best,
Chloe
Chloë Waterman
Deputy Director, Food Systems & Agriculture Policy
1101 15th Street NW
11th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
812-345-4585 (cell)
cwaterman@foe.org
www.foe.org