Education

Love Your Lunch

Rice balls. Curry. Pancit. Dumplings.

The lunches our children bring to school are more than food—they are a nourishing connection to family and heritage.

Yet too often for Asian American and Pacific Islander children—and others with culturally diverse foods—bringing lunch to school can become a source of shame and distress.

Love Your Lunch aims to change that by nurturing curiosity about the foods we cherish, and encouraging children to take pride in their families’ food traditions. Use our art project template, parent/educator guides, and other resources to learn about loving your lunch at home, or bring this project to your school or community.

Community Guide

No matter where you are, you can encourage children to Love Your Lunch with these free resources from AAPI New Jersey!

Use our art project templates to encourage children to draw pictures of their lunches. Why do they love their lunch?
- Partner with your art and elementary school teachers. All students could draw pictures of their lunches to be displayed and discussed in class.
- How about an art contest? Find local restaurants or local business owners who would be willing to display the winners or donate small prizes!
Check out our free parent and educator guides below for tips from an AAPI mental health professional on helping children take pride in the lunches they bring. There’s a guide for students, too!
See our Love Your Lunch Reading List below for recommendations of picture books that feature characters who overcome lunch-shaming and encourage appreciation of diverse foods.

Free Resources

Donate an Educator Gift Box

Your donation of $50 or more will allow you to nominate a New Jersey public school kindergarten through 2nd grade educator to receive a LOVE YOUR LUNCH Educator Gift Box. If you don’t have a particular teacher in mind, we’ll match your $50+ donation to a teacher requesting a box.