Bill Overview
Title: Scratch Cooked Meals for Students Act
Description: This bill establishes a pilot program to award competitive grants to school food authorities and local educational agencies for activities that promote the use of ingredients that are unprocessed or minimally processed (i.e., scratch cooking) in school meals.
Sponsors: Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5]
Target Audience
Population: Students receiving school meals
Estimated Size: 50800000
- The bill targets school food authorities and local educational agencies, indicating a focus on schools as the primary institutions involved.
- School meals are consumed by students, so the primary group affected will be students who receive meals at school.
- Any changes to meal preparation, such as using scratch cooking methods, will directly impact students' nutrition and food quality.
- There are approximately 1.3 billion students enrolled in schools worldwide according to current UNESCO data.
- Even though not all students currently receive school meals, the potential reach of the legislation, if adopted globally, is broad as many educational systems provide meals.
- The dietary habits influenced by more nutritious school meals could also impact long-term health and learning outcomes for many of these students.
Reasoning
- To simulate the impact of the policy, we must focus on students receiving school meals in public and charter schools across the U.S., aligning with the estimated 50.8 million school enrollment.
- Since the budget is restricted, the initial implementation would be in selected school districts known for higher needs or greater benefits from improved nutrition.
- Wellbeing estimates will hinge on age, geographic diversity, socioeconomic status, and dietary habits influenced by school meals.
- Most direct impact will be on the students' nutrition and thus potentially on their academic performance, long-term health, and overall daily wellbeing.
- Indirectly, the policy may affect parents, school staff, and local produce suppliers due to changes in school procurement and menu offerings.
Simulated Interviews
Student (Houston, TX)
Age: 10 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I like the food at school but sometimes it's kind of bland.
- I've never really thought about how they cook it.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Parent (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 13/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm always concerned about the quality of school meals.
- If they cook more from scratch, it could mean healthier options, which I'm for.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
School Chef (Chicago, IL)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Scratch cooking might increase workload but it's more fulfilling.
- Better ingredients could make school meals healthier and tastier.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Student (New York, NY)
Age: 16 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We need better food at school to stay focused.
- I think knowing meals are cooked from scratch would be reassuring.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Dietitian (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy allows us to implement more nutritious options.
- It might be a challenge to manage the costs initially but it's worth it for the students' health.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Student (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 12 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Sometimes the lunch is a bit strange but I eat it.
- If it tasted better, I'd probably eat more of it.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Principal (Detroit, MI)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Better meals may improve student concentration and performance.
- There's a concern about the costs and logistical challenges of scratch cooking.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 4 |
Teacher (Seattle, WA)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could be a teaching tool for students about nutrition.
- Improvements in food quality would support classroom learning.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Student (Miami, FL)
Age: 11 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's important the meals are safe for me because of my allergy.
- If scratch cooked meals mean more fresh options, that could be good.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Student (Rural Kansas)
Age: 9 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Sometimes we have to bring food because school lunch isn't enough.
- Improving school meals would help families like mine.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $2000000000 (Low: $1500000000, High: $2500000000)
Year 2: $1800000000 (Low: $1350000000, High: $2250000000)
Year 3: $1600000000 (Low: $1200000000, High: $2000000000)
Year 5: $1500000000 (Low: $1100000000, High: $1900000000)
Year 10: $1400000000 (Low: $1000000000, High: $1800000000)
Year 100: $1300000000 (Low: $900000000, High: $1700000000)
Key Considerations
- Supply chain readiness and capacity for providing unprocessed or minimally processed ingredients.
- Training requirements for school kitchen staff to handle scratch cooking methods.
- Potential resistance from suppliers of processed foods that currently serve school meal programs.
- Long-term health benefits from better nutrition leading to potential future cost savings in healthcare.