Nutrition Business Journal

Renegade lunch lady takes on school lunch programs

‘We will either pay to feed our kids good food or we will pay in a healthcare crisis that bankrupts the entire economy,’ Cooper says
Apr. 1, 2009 12:00pm

When it comes to kids and the National School Lunch Program, Ann Cooper, author of Lunch Lessons: Changing the Way We Feed Our Children, doesn't mince words regarding her disappointment over the quality of the food most schools are dishing out to students. But Cooper isn't just complaining — she's actually taking on powerful forces to bring about positive changes in schools across the country. Most recently, Cooper — a.k.a. the Renegade Lunch Lady — shook things up as the director of nutrition services for the Berkeley Unified School District, where she replaced processed foods with a healthier menu focused on fresh...