‘Renegade Lunch Lady’ Chef Ann Cooper’s Mission to Change School Food, One Lunch at a Time

School lunch lasts just 20 to 30 minutes, but advocates say what children eat during that short window can have lasting effects on their health, education and future. That’s the message behind Sullivan 180’s inaugural Speaker Series, which will feature nationally recognized school nutrition advocate Chef Ann Cooper later this month.

Known as the “Renegade Lunch Lady,” Cooper has spent more than two decades helping school districts transition from heavily processed meals to scratch cooking using whole ingredients.

Cooper said the nickname originated when she left a career as a white tablecloth chef to work in school food service.

“If we feed kids good food, if we teach them about good food, if we teach them about the symbiotic relationship between people, planet and their own health, then we can change everything,” she said.

She said one common misconception is that all school food is unhealthy.

“It’s not all bad and it’s not all junk food,” Cooper said, noting that many districts across the country are making significant progress toward serving healthier, freshly prepared meals.

Another misunderstanding, she said, is how school meals are funded. School nutrition programs operate separately from school district budgets and are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Cooper promotes scratch cooking in schools— preparing meals with whole fruits and vegetables, raw proteins and basic ingredients rather than relying on highly processed foods. While some administrators worry that approach costs more, she said districts can often offset higher labor expenses because raw ingredients are typically less expensive than processed products.

“You can’t do everything all at once,” Cooper said. “It’s baby steps.”

She pointed to Tompkins County as an example of what’s possible for smaller rural school districts. Over four years, she said, six districts have significantly expanded scratch cooking while reducing ultra-processed foods and flavored milk.

Sullivan 180 Executive Director Denise Frangipane said healthier school meals benefit more than just students.

Nearly 10,000 children attend public schools in Sullivan County, she noted, and improving what they eat contributes to the overall health of the community. She also said increasing the use of locally sourced ingredients could strengthen the regional agricultural economy by creating new markets for area farmers and producers.

Research also supports the broader benefits of nutritious school meals, according to Cooper. She said healthier breakfasts and lunches are associated with improved attendance, fewer disciplinary issues, better academic performance and stronger physical and emotional health.

Frangipane said Sullivan 180 hopes the speaker series will build community support for continued improvements in school nutrition.

“We need champions for this,” she said. “We need people in the community who will get behind this as a priority for Sullivan County.”

Editor’s Note: Sullivan 180 is a financial supporter of Radio Catskill.

Image: Chef Ann Cooper will be speaking Aug. 20 at the Michael Ritchie Big Barn in Hurleyville, as part of Sullivan 180’s Speaker Series. (Chef Ann Foundation)