School lunch; the costs, impacts and ingredients in your child's meal

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — In cafeterias across Missouri, workers spend hours preparing meals that are eaten by students in minutes. Behind the trays of spaghetti, pizza, and salad bars is a system designed to keep food both nutritious and affordable.

Springfield Public Schools (SPS) Student Nutrition Director Kim Keller says the district follows strict federal rules under the USDA’s National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

“Our student nutrition department runs the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program, which is a program run by the USDA, and they get reimbursements for those meals,” Keller said. “We have to prepare certain things a certain way. So we have to meet certain calorie nutritional information and certain sodium guidelines to get reimbursement for those meals…