National School Lunch Week Is October 12–16, 2026

Food is what fuels students’ days, connects the community, and brings in the fun. Your lunch program deserves the full spotlight of National School Lunch Week. It’s time to celebrate!

The Greatest Lunch on Earth Is for Everyone

National School Lunch Week is all about getting students excited about what’s happening in your cafeteria. Allergy-friendly meals can be as playful as any other. What’s more, they encourage all students to fully and safely engage. 

Whether or not you’re transforming your cafeteria into a circus for this year’s theme, keep operations smooth with inclusive, allergy-friendly meals.

Sunny Recipes They’ll Flip Over

You don’t have to find a whole new act to add some fun with nutritious, nut-free SunButter® Sunflower Seed Butter. Simple plus-one dressings and dips put the super sunflower seed to work on your menu while easing labor.

Play into this year’s theme with:

SunButter–Kikkoman Hoisin Sauce

High-Dive Chicken Delight
Invite students to dunk chicken skewers into SunButter–Kikkoman Hoisin Sauce.

SunButter Dressing in a Salad Shaker

Under the Big Top Salad Shakers
Stock the serving lines and grab & go stations with colorful ingredients plus SunButter® dressing, all layered in a lidded cup they can shake up. 

Roasted Pumpkin Feta Salad

Ringmaster’s Roasted Pumpkin Salad
Make a big show of the fall harvest with a roasted pumpkin, couscous, and feta salad tossed with a zesty-creamy SunButter®-apple cider dressing.

Bring in Big Personality

People are the heart and soul of foodservice. That includes your resilient kitchen staff, the school administration who support, the community who cares about the education and health of students, and the families you serve. Help them Shine On during National School Lunch Week!

Celebrate the Heroes

• Highlight the hard work of the entire kitchen team by shining a “hero spotlight” on staff members.
• Ask recognizable local celebrities such as elected officials, news anchors, musicians, athletes, business owners, and others to make an event appearance or even share a meal.
• Partner with community organizations to bring in local mascots or creative costumes.
  

Host Surprising Servers

• Students will get a thrill from seeing unexpected role models serving them throughout the week – invite the principal or office administrators on the serving line.
• Call in family volunteers to help with special event-related tasks, but ask them to keep it as a surprise.
  

Give Students Star Power

• Run new recipes during the week and have students vote for their favorite.
  
• Ask students to share recipes from their home or culture that you could later adapt as a new menu item or LTO.
  
• Run a “Put Your Name in the Ring” meal-naming competition.
  

Reach Out to Local Media

What story can you tell about the impact of your lunch program? Let the presses know how research shows children get their healthiest meals at school.

The School Nutrition Association lists the following programmatic feats you can share:

• Multiple studies show that the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) plays an important role in supporting obesity prevention and overall student health by improving children’s diets and combatting food insecurity.
• Children receiving school lunches consume fewer empty calories and more milk, fruit, vegetables, and fiber than their peers – they are also more likely to have appropriate intakes of calcium, vitamin A, and zinc.
• School lunches are healthier than typical packed lunches – school lunches contained fewer calories, fat, saturated fat, and sugar than lunches brought from home.
• School lunch participation is associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) – school and child care meals help children maintain a healthy weight.
• NSLP reduces food insecurity, which is linked to negative health, development, and educational outcomes such as slower progress in math and reading and a higher likelihood of repeating a grade.
  

Source: https://schoolnutrition.org/resource/benefits-of-school-lunch

Shine a Light on Allergy Awareness

Did You Know?
Food allergens are a known risk, affecting an estimated 7-8% of children worldwide, or about two children per classroom of 25. Allergens are a hidden risk, too. Studies show that nearly a third of allergic reactions in schools occur among students who did not have a previously known or reported food allergy. 

Source: “Food Allergy Education and Management in Schools: A Scoping Review on Current Practices and Gaps.” Published in Nutrients. 2022 Feb; 14(4): 732.

More Ways to Build Buzz

• Share the benefits of serving inclusive lunches with teachers, administrators, and families.
• Communicate any changes to your lunch program throughout the school and at PTA meetings.
• Launch new offerings during National School Lunch Week with posters, raffles, and other fun activities.

All students will feel included as you show how allergy-friendly meals can be welcoming, delicious, and fun. SunButter® Sunflower Seed Butter is here to help you serve everyone under the sun with the #1 toasty taste.