School lunch programs offer healthier, tastier fare

Across the state, schoolchildren are enjoying healthier, more nutritious school lunches thanks to a wave of support from school districts, the University of California, and a host of organizations that includes UC Santa Cruz-based Life Lab.

“If you want kids to be able to learn, they need to eat as well as possible,” said school sustainability pioneer Zenobia Barlow, executive director and co-founder of the Center for Ecoliteracy, in a report produced by UC's Global Food Initiative.

The center has partnered with the initiative to launch Good Food for Local Schools, a free online toolkit of resources to help schools teach healthy eating habits and provide nutritious, sustainable food to students.