After the cheesy gut bombs of the Reagan era, we’ve arrived at the “hopey changey” era of school lunch. Michelle Obama put school lunch on the front page and ushered in upgraded nutrition standards. But the battles didn’t end there. In this episode, Jane and Liz unwrap the future of school food with concrete tips on how parents can make a difference.

And, as promised, If you'd like to follow along and find out what we'll be doing in Pressure Cooker's next act, please submit your email address at pressurecook.substack.com. Thank you, listeners, for two amazing years!

Sales and distribution by Lemonada Media.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For those unfamiliar with the inner workings of the school lunch program, it is puzzling, even maddening: Why is it so hard to offer tasty, nutritious food at school? In this episode, Jane and Liz dig into the history of the school lunch program to unveil how we got to where we are today. It’s a surprisingly twisted tale involving desperate farmers, skittish military generals, shortsighted bean counters, pizza lobbyists, and a network of underground caves…filled with cheese.

And, as promised, If you'd like to follow along and find out what we'll be doing in Pressure Cooker's next act, please submit your email address at pressurecook.substack.com. Thank you, listeners, for two amazing years!

Sales and distribution by Lemonada Media

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this final installment of Pressure Cooker (at least, for now!) Jane and Liz reflect on lessons learned over the course of more than fifty episodes. From political activism to picture-perfect bento lunches, our hosts break down which habits listeners should consider leaning into – and which ones you should let go of.

Although we’re hitting ‘pause’ on the podcast for now, we’ve got lots of ideas brewing for the future of Pressure Cooker. If you’d like to stay in the loop on news and updates, please submit your email address at pressurecook.substack.com. Thank you, listeners, for two amazing years!

Note: One of our recommendations was to get involved politically – especially about food marketing to kids. Here’s how:

• Email the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative at programs@bbbnp.org.
• Or call (yes, you have to call!!) the Federal Trade Commission and make your voice heard: (202) 326-2222

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.