When you think back to school lunches when you were growing up, what comes to mind? For me, it’s the joy of sitting with my friends, even if the food wasn’t the most delicious. When you think about it, schools are some of of the largest ‘restaurant chains’ in the country — and oftentimes, school lunch is one of the healthiest meals children eat. But it can be a challenge to make sure lunchtime is a place of health and belonging for all kids, especially those who have been historically left out because of their race or class.

Every day, 30 million children eat school lunch, and 77 percent of those kids receive free or reduced-price school meals based on their household income. Kids sometimes eat two of their three daily meals at school, making schools a place where food is of vital importance. Access to food is essential for kids’ development, and not just their growing bodies. Food insecurity and poor nutrition are linked to underperforming in class, repeating grades, and lower chances of graduating high school, according to research by Children’s HealthWatch. And we see inequities across race here: Black and Latinx families are more likely to be food insecure. In addition, kids often don’t see their culture’s foods represented in school meals, which can negatively impact their sense of belonging.

Here’s the good news, though: we don’t have to just sit on the sidelines. The movement to provide free, nutritious school meals to all students levels the playing field, ensuring all children are fed, and freeing up school nutrition professionals so they can dedicate more time to finding wholesome, nutritious, and culturally appropriate solutions for school lunches.

Introducing: Food For Thought

Orgain — a longtime leader in high-quality, clean nutrition — is collaborating with FoodCorps to launch Food for Thought, a back-to-school program aimed at ensuring that all children have access to nutritious meals in school.

FoodCorps’ service members use hands-on food education to teach children about everything from where their food comes from, to how to grow it, to what it’s like to enjoy healthy foods — all of which can lead to behavior change in eating habits and an increase in fruit and vegetable intake over time.

Since its founding in 2009, Orgain has put access to better nutrition at the heart of its mission, a value it shares with FoodCorps. Orgain and FoodCorps believe that all children, regardless of race, place, or class, deserve the opportunity to experience the vibrancy that comes from better nutrition.

Here’s How You Can Help

When you add Orgain items to your Instacart order from September 1 through September 30, for each checkout Orgain will make a donation to support FoodCorps’ mission, up to $250,000.

Additionally, Orgain will spotlight the unsung heroes of the school lunchroom: FoodCorps’ food educators. Continued support of food educators and their curricula is critical to help FoodCorps meet its goal of ensuring that by 2030, every child in the U.S. has access to food education and nourishing food in school.

So next time you’re placing an Instacart order this month, be sure to stock up on Orgain’s Powders, Drinks, and Bars (perfect for back-to-school lunches), and know that you’re also helping to ensure kids get the nourishment they need to thrive.