These Are the Top States for Nutritious School Lunches, Report Says

In the ’90s, school nutrition was dominated by Got Milk? ads. Today, faced with a childhood obesity crisis and growing concerns about kids’ health, cafeterias are swapping chocolate milk and pizza for local produce, fewer sugary drinks and even meals free of ultra-processed foods and dyes. Parents, the government and school systems are largely putting more thought, time and money into what kids eat today. But efforts can be far from equal across state lines.

Budgets, elected officials and community priorities all play a role in shaping school lunch programs. To find out which states are going above and beyond for nutritious meals and which could use some catching up, ProCare Therapy gathered data from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Taking at least seven nutrition-friendly factors, from farm-to-school programs to sugary drink consumption and the presence of school garden, ProCare scored each state on a scale from 0 to 100, with a clear top 10 emerging.

Top 10 States for Nutritious School Lunches

1. Vermont
2. Hawaii
3. Washington, D.C.
4. West Virginia
5. Delaware
6. Virginia
7. Oregon
8. Rhode Island
9. New York
10. Alaska

Vermont leads the pack, with the highest percentage of schools featuring edible gardens (39%), robust fruit and vegetable programs and 95% of schools participating in farm-to-school initiatives. These programs ensure students have access to fresh, locally sourced foods that are higher-quality and nutrient-dense.

Hawaii, with its abundance of fruit and vegetable farms, comes in second with 99.6% of schools involved in farm-to-school programs. Geographically separated from the rest of the nation, the Aloha State also leads in the percentage of schools serving local foods (87%). Washington, D.C., West Virginia and Delaware round out the top five, each with a large majority of schools participating in farm-to-table programs (95%) and serving local foods (87%).

Still, there’s a wide gap in access between states. In No. 49-ranked South Dakota, only 46% of schools engage in at least one farm-to-school activity—the lowest in the nation. Oklahoma (No. 51) has the lowest percentage of schools offering the Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Program, with just 12.1% of school food authorities participating. Meanwhile, Maryland (No. 42) and Nevada (No. 34) have the fewest edible gardens, with fewer than 2% of schools participating.

You can see the full list of all 50 states and the District of Columbia ranked at ProCareTherapy.com. Not happy with your state or school system’s lunch options? Consider these 22 easy and tasty kid’s lunch ideas.