How good are the school lunches in Rhode Island? Pretty good, report says. See ranking

[Desmond Milligan 0]

School in Rhode Island will be starting soon, which means another year of school lunches.

As a parent, you're not exactly there with your children to assess the cafeteria food's quality, but you would hope the school lunches are at least healthy and nutritious for the kids there. It would be nice to know for sure, though.

In Rhode Island, a recent report found the odds of your child having a healthy lunch are pretty good. ProCare Therapy released the State of School Lunch Report, ranking which states in the U.S. have the healthiest school lunches and which states are lacking in that department, and ranked Rhode Island No. 8 in the U.S.

The report took into account participation in the Farm to School program, which includes activities for school gardens and farms so that children can learn about where their food comes from, and other programs.

School cafeteria workers offering healthy food options to students

How healthy are Rhode Island school meals

With a score of 62.38, Rhode Island was ranked No. 8 out of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., included in the report's list. With this ranking, the Ocean State is one of the most dedicated places in the country toward providing healthy school meals to children, the report said.

Vermont took the top spot.

"Hawaii also leads in the percentage of schools serving local foods, with Virginia, Washington D.C., Rhode Island, and Oregon following suit, where over 87% of schools provide locally grown food to their students," the report said.

The top 10 places in the U.S. for healthiest school meals in the report are:

1. Vermont

2. Hawaii

3. Washington, D.C.

4. West Virginia

5. Delaware

6. Virginia

7. Oregon

8. Rhode Island

9. New York

10. Alaska

More: Are the feds coming for coffee milk in schools? They might not even find it on the menu.

Here's what you need to know about free lunches in Rhode Island.

Are school lunches free in Rhode Island

You can apply for free or reduced-price school lunches for your children in Rhode Island, according to the state government website.

"The cost of breakfast and lunch varies by school, but regardless of the cost, your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced-price meals," the website said.

Rin Velasco is a trending reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI ranks No. 8 in healthy school lunches in the U.S., report says

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