Food crunch hits school lunch

“We don't want to see a drop in participation and have Mom and Dad packing peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches because they can't afford to pay for school lunch any more.”

Anne Arundel County students who eat breakfast at school may soon have to do without whole-grain cinnamon rolls. In Carroll County, school cafeterias are stretching their vegetable supply by making more soups. And in Montgomery County schools, tomatoes are being replaced in lunch salads by less-pricey carrots.

The global food shortage and the resulting spike in the cost of milk, grains and fresh fruits and vegetables are squeezing school lunchroom budgets in Maryland and across the nation. Read more