School Food Is the Key to Fixing Our Children’s Health Crisis | Nora LaTorre

2026-02-13

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If we want to fix food, we have to fix the institutions shaping what our kids eat every day. Public schools are effectively the largest restaurant chain in America, serving 30 million children. For many of them, school meals account for half of their daily calories. And yet, a majority of those calories still come from ultra-processed food. On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I sit down with Nora LaTorre, CEO of Eat Real, to talk about why the school cafeteria may be the most powerful lever we have to...

If we want to fix food, we have to fix the institutions shaping what our kids eat every day. Public schools are effectively the largest restaurant chain in America, serving 30 million children. For many of them, school meals account for half of their daily calories. And yet, a majority of those calories still come from ultra-processed food. On this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, I sit down with Nora LaTorre, CEO of Eat Real, to talk about why the school cafeteria may be the most powerful lever we have to reverse the childhood health crisis—and why change is already happening faster than most people think. Watch the full conversation on YouTube or listen wherever you get your podcasts. Today we discuss:

• Why school food policy affects your family • How removing added sugar from school menus can change focus, behavior, and long-term health • Why school lunch participation rises when districts upgrade to real food • How changing school procurement reshapes local farms and food systems • What you can do as a parent to influence your district In less than two years, Eat Real–partnered districts are proving that real food can scale across red states, blue states, rural communities, and major cities. When procurement changes, farms change, and when menus change, our children have a better chance to thrive. View Show Notes From This Episode

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(0:00) The health crisis facing children and the role of schools

(1:26) Dr. Hyman's personal connection with Nora LaTorre

(2:00) The burden of chronic disease and diet's impact on children's health

(3:32) Systemic food industry issues and transforming public school cafeterias

(7:35) Success stories in school nutrition and mental health concerns

(11:06) Long-term impacts of poor diet and research on sugar reduction

(15:32) Overcoming challenges in the school food system

(23:18) Cost myths of healthy eating and improving school food quality

(27:22) Economic benefits and performance impacts of real food in schools

(31:07) Nutrition's role in children's behavior and quick dietary change benefits

(35:07) Expanding real food programs and empowering advocacy

(41:24) Educating families and key food policy initiatives