The School Lunch Revolution: Nourishing Minds, One Meal at a Time

What if changing what kids eat at school could transform their
behavior, boost learning, and even save lives? Studies show that
when kids swap junk food for real, nourishing meals, behavior
problems drop, focus improves, and learning soars—with one study
finding a 100% reduction in suicides among youth simply by changing
their diet. Across the country, schools are proving that
scratch-cooked, colorful meals made from whole ingredients can fit
tight budgets, reduce waste, and make kids excited to eat. By
putting nutritious food at the center of education, we can help
raise a generation that’s healthier, happier, and ready to learn.
In this episode, Jill Shah, Sam Kass, Kimbal Musk, and I talk about
the powerful connection between nutrition and education, showing
that healthy school meals can transform not just kids’ diets but
their futures. Jill Shah is the President of the Shah Family
Foundation, which drives innovative work at the intersection of
education, healthcare, and community in Boston. Her leadership
focuses on improving access to healthy school food, supporting
neighborhood food equity, and fostering collaboration between
schools and healthcare to strengthen children’s physical,
emotional, and social well-being. Before launching the foundation,
Jill was a successful entrepreneur involved in several internet
startups, including iXL, RxCentric, and Mercator Software, and
later founded Jill’s List, which she sold to MINDBODY in 2013. A
graduate of Providence College, she now serves on the boards of the
Red Sox Foundation, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, the
Museum of Fine Arts, Belmont Hill School, and the Winsor School.
Jill’s commitment to community innovation has earned her honors
such as the Boston Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Bostonian
Award and the Playworks Game Changer Award. Sam Kass was senior
policy advisor for nutrition policy in the Obama Administration and
is currently an investor in several food technology start-ups. One
of Michelle Obama's longest-serving advisors, Sam was the executive
director of her Let's Move initiative and helped create the first
major vegetable garden at the White House since Eleanor Roosevelt's
Victory Garden. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago and
was trained by one of Austria's greatest chefs, Christian
Domschitz. Kimbal Musk is the co-founder of The Kitchen, an
American bistro with restaurant locations in Boulder, Denver,
Chicago, and soon Austin. Now marking its twentieth anniversary,
The Kitchen serves thoughtfully sourced, Seasonal American Shared
Plates with global influences. Musk is also the co-founder of Big
Green, a philanthropic organization devoted to getting every
American growing food. His personal mission is to empower and
invest in the next generation who are building a healthier, happier
future. The Wall Street Journal has called him a "cheerful crusader
for real food," and The Guardian has lauded how he “takes the tech
entrepreneur ethos and applies it to food.” Musk has been named a
Global Social Entrepreneur by the World Economic Forum. Musk
currently sits on the board of Tesla Inc. and formerly served on
the board of Chipotle Mexican Grill and SpaceX. This episode is
brought to you by BIOptimizers. Head to bioptimizers.com/hyman and
use code HYMAN to save 15%. Full-length episodes can be found
here:How To Improve School Lunches, Grades, And Behavior At No
Extra Cost Why Pizza And Fries Can Be Claimed As Vegetables Through
School Lunch Programs How To Fix Nutrition In Schools